


Arkadia Floral & Garden

by wanheda_two_heda



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: F/M, Florist!Clarke, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn, Teacher!Bellamy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-21
Updated: 2017-06-18
Packaged: 2018-10-08 17:16:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 24,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10391877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wanheda_two_heda/pseuds/wanheda_two_heda
Summary: Clarke has owned Arkadia Floral & Garden Supplies for 3 years when Bellamy Blake, her high school rival, comes back into town following his mother's death and needs Clarke's help to restore his mother's garden to its former glory. But gardening isn't Bellamy's strong suite, and neither is coping with losing another parent. He might need a lot more help than he's willing to admit, but luckily for him, his feisty blonde former rival is there to guide him through some of the most difficult months of his life.





	1. Welcome to Arkadia Floral & Garden

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **I'M COLLECTING LETTERS & FAN ART FOR BOB & ELIZA TO GIVE TO BOB AT FAN EXPO. SUBMISSION DEADLINE IS AUGUST 16, 2017. SUBMISSION GUIDELINES CAN BE FOUND [HERE](http://youleftme-clarke.tumblr.com/bobbook).**

The air inside the greenhouse was thick and stifling, and the humidity made Clarke’s ponytail frizz where it escaped out the back of her baseball cap. She’d owned Arkadia Floral & Garden Supply ever since she was 21, but even though she was on her fourth season, she hadn’t quite gotten used to the constant moisture needed to keep her plants alive.

Arkadia Floral had belonged to her father; it was one of his side projects that had kept him busy while he wasn’t working his usual government job. Even though he wasn’t in the same department as her mother, her father had never had the dedication her mother had. He didn’t discuss policies over dinner, and when he left the office, he left his work with it. The nursery was his true love, his way to put all his work for the environment into practice. He’d left it to Clarke when he passed away, knowing that Abby would never give it the care it deserved. Clarke hadn’t considered doing anything else with her life since. Arkadia Floral was all that was important to her, and she loved her job.

It was early in the season still, only mid-March, so she had minimal staff on hand. Raven was up in the front, organizing displays and manning the registers, and she had Jasper and Monty puttering around cleaning the flood tables for the new plants and organizing the seedlings. All in all, it was looking to be a good season. She’d just hired a new girl that morning, a sweet thing named Maya, and the girl was a natural with plants. Harper would be starting later in the season, and Raven had just recommended a new girl to look into, as well.

Clarke was in the potting room, getting some of the annuals transplanted from their growing trays into bigger pots to go out for sale when the radio at her hip crackled and Raven’s voice came through the static.

“Hey, Clarke, there’s a customer at the cash asking to speak with the owner,” she said.

Clarke groaned. Arkadia might have been a small country town, but the residents knew surprisingly little about gardening. She always found herself educating her customers on the plants they were choosing to buy, constantly having to explain that they need to go on more than just “they look pretty”. It was probably a customer looking to complain about something he’d bought that had died. That happened a lot. The previous week, she’d had a customer come in asking to return an open package of carrot seeds because they were defective. The customer said that his carrots weren’t growing. He’d purchased the seeds a week before, and Clarke had to explain that even if the ground had been warm enough to not kill his seeds on contact, it would take at least until August for him to be able to harvest full-sized carrots. The man had left in a huff saying he’d just go buy organic at the grocery store because it was a lot less work. She and Raven had had a good laugh about it.

“Got it,” she said into her radio. “Be right there.”

She wiped the dirt from her hands onto her apron and walked back into the main greenhouse, the one open to the public. Rather than finding an irritated customer standing at the counter, she spotted a familiar face, one that she hadn’t seen in more than seven years. She took advantage of the fact that he hadn’t seen her yet as she walked up to take in how much he’d changed since high school. His shoulders had gotten broader, more muscular, even until his thick flannel. His hair had always been tamed, gelled back into perfection, but now it hung in loose curls, down around his ears and to his eyes. As she watched, he swiped a strand out of his face. His freckles had stayed the same, spanning across the bridge of his nose and his high cheekbones.

“Bellamy Blake,” Clarke said with a slow smile as she came into view. “I haven’t seen you since high school.”

He looked taken aback. “Clarke!” he said, not meeting her eyes. “I didn’t know you ran this place.”

“I didn’t know that you knew anything about me,” she said with easy confidence. “You were kind of a dick back then.”

“Octavia says I still am,” he said with a laugh.

Raven walked away with a smirk clear on her face, though Bellamy’s back was turned, and he couldn’t see. “What can I do for you?” Clarke asked, going back to familiar turf.

She really looked at him then, and took in his bloodshot eyes, the dark crescent that showed that he hadn’t had a good sleep in a long time, the lines on his face that made him look older than twenty-seven.

“I just moved back to down. My, uh, my mom,” his voice trailed off.

“She passed away,” Clarke filled in, having seen the obituary in the newspaper not long ago. Her heart had ached for her friend that she hadn’t seen since graduation and her older brother. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” he said, but Clarke knew it was a lie. No one was ever okay when they lost a parent. “I’m getting used to it. But she left me her house, and she was always gardening. There are these flowerbeds in the front and a huge vegetable garden in the back that I have no idea what do to with, but they were her pride and joy, so I’d really love to keep them going. I know she used to start around this time, but I have no idea what she’d do or what I need, so I was hoping you could help me out.”

“Okay,” Clarke said. Plants she could do; talking about losing a parent with Bellamy Blake, not so much. “So, flowerbeds. Do you know what kind of plants she has out there already? Any perennials, or are they all annuals? I know it’s a bit early to tell, but do you have any idea?”

He huffed out a laugh. “I don’t even know what those words mean.”

She smiled. “Do they die every year and she plants new ones in the spring, or do they grow back on their own?”

“Both, I think.”

“Okay, that’s a start. It’s a bit early for the perennials to start coming up, but in a few weeks, you should start to be able to see what you have going on and where you need to fill in some spots. Do you have any idea what you might want?”

“I was a jock in high school, Clarke, and now I have a history degree. Do I look like the kind of guy who knows flowers?” he said jokingly.

“I guess you don’t. It’s still early in the growing season, so we don’t have much out, but in about a month, we’ll have a lot of flowers in bloom, and you can come in and see what you like, or bring Octavia and have her decide.”

His smile faded. “I think it’s best if Octavia stays away. She’s not really taking this well.”

“I’m sorry,” Clarke said again. Even after losing her father, she didn’t know what else to say, because there was nothing anyone could say to make it hurt any less. “If I remember right, Aurora used to start her plants from seeds herself, so that’s probably why she would have been here this early. If you want to give it a try, I can show you everything that you’d need to start the plants – it would be vegetables at this time of year – if you’re up to it, but it’s a lot of work, so if you don’t have all the time to dedicate to it, we grow a lot of plants from seeds here in the greenhouse, so you can always pick up seedlings in May and put them right in the ground.”

“I think that would be best. I don’t know if I’m that great at keeping things alive.”

Clarke chuckled. “You’d be surprised how often I hear that in here.”

“Yeah?” he asked, leaning against the counter, his arms crossed loosely over his chest.

“So often,” she said. “You’d also be surprised to hear how many people think pumpkins are ready to harvest in June.”

“I might not know much about gardening, but I know that pumpkins are definitely a fall thing, if only because Octavia starts bugging me about pumpkin spiced lattes in September.”

Clarke smiled at the memory of her friend. A customer walked in then, and Clarke gave her a welcoming grin. “Hi, welcome to Arkadia Floral. My name is Clarke. Let me know if I can help you in any way.”

“I should let you get back to work,” Bellamy said, sounding a bit sad.

“If you find any pictures of her garden set-up in the last few years, bring them in, and I can get you a list of some of the things you’ll need.”

Bellamy brightened back up. “You’d do that?”

“It’s kind of my job,” Clarke teased.

He rolled his eyes. “I’ll look around and see if I can’t find anything. Thank you, Princess.”

Clarke groaned at the nickname Bellamy and his friends used to call her when they made fun of her for being Senator Griffin’s daughter, though the name didn’t hold any malice anymore.

“I’ll see you, soon,” he said as he reached the door.

“See you soon,” she answered, but he was already gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **I'M COLLECTING LETTERS & FAN ART FOR BOB & ELIZA TO GIVE TO BOB AT FAN EXPO. SUBMISSION DEADLINE IS AUGUST 16, 2017. SUBMISSION GUIDELINES CAN BE FOUND [HERE](http://youleftme-clarke.tumblr.com/bobbook).**
> 
> I do **actual** writing in my spare time! Come find me at [@pascale_writes](https://twitter.com/pascale_writes) or let's hang out on [Tumblr](http://youleftme-clarke.tumblr.com/)


	2. Impatiens

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bellamy comes back a little early for more advice on how to fix up Aurora's flowerbed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just basically me rambling about my favorite flowers. If I ever manage to get a boyfriend, someone link him to this chapter.
> 
> **I'M COLLECTING LETTERS & FAN ART FOR BOB & ELIZA TO GIVE TO BOB AT FAN EXPO. SUBMISSION DEADLINE IS AUGUST 16, 2017. SUBMISSION GUIDELINES CAN BE FOUND [HERE](http://youleftme-clarke.tumblr.com/bobbook).**

Clarke nearly forgot about her encounter with Bellamy Blake as the days trickled by and more work demanded to be done at the nursery. The number of customers that come in during the growing season asking for gardening advice is in the hundreds, and Clarke can hardly be bothered to remember all of them. Even if she’d known Bellamy Blake in high school, had be on the receiving end of his awful jabs about her mother and her family while he was a senior and she was a freshman, he wasn’t any more memorable than any of the other customers who came into her shop. Arkadia was a small town, and she saw a lot of people she’d gone to high school with. She’d been friends with Octavia, sure, when Octavia had started at Ark High a year after Clarke, but Clarke had lost touch with Bellamy’s little sister, and the Blake siblings didn’t often cross her mind.

So it came as a surprise, two weeks after Bellamy had come in to ask for her help, that he found her as she was setting up a display on one of her flood tables in the middle of the main greenhouse. She’d been distracted, listening to the music that was coming out of the overhead speakers, and he startled her when he said her name. Her hand went to her heart, which was beating wildly in her chest. It wasn’t often that she got so lost in her thoughts at work that customers scared her, but it did happen.

“Bellamy. Hi,” she said, attempting to settle her racing heart.

“Did I scare you?” he asked, worry creasing his forehead.

“I just zoned out for a minute,” she admits. “What can I do for you?”

“Oh, I just – I wanted to wait – I know you said it would be a month before I could really start anything, but I found some pictures of some of the flower beds from last year, and I wanted to get your opinion.”

“Sure,” she said with a friendly smile reserved just for customers. “Let’s see.”

He pulled out his phone and wiped away the moisture that condensed on the screen with the sleeve of his shirt.

“I don’t know if you’ll be able to figure out what’s what; they all look the same to me, just different colors. But, I guess it’s your job to know, right?” he rambled with an easy laugh.

“Show me the pictures, and I’ll see what I can do,” she offered.

He unlocked his phone and pulled up the picture before handing it to her. She zoomed in at the flowerbed, taking a look at the gorgeous array of flowers that decorated the front of Aurora Blake’s house. It was at an awkward angle, though, and though she could make out some of the plants, she couldn’t see them all.

“Do you have any other pictures?” she asked.

“Yeah, a couple. Just scroll through them.” She swiped her thumb right. “Not that way!”

The phone was ripped from her hands. She looked up and saw that Bellamy Blake’s face was as red as the tomatoes she grew, and he wouldn’t meet her eyes.

“Sorry,” he mumbled.

Her insides did a flip at the thought of what kind of pictures she might have come across, had she kept swiping. She wasn’t blind. She’d always thought that Bellamy was attractive, even more so now that he’d aged. He thumbed through a few more pictures before handing the phone back to her, his free hand going to the back of his neck shyly.

“Here, try these.”

She looked at the new picture, the angle giving her a clear look at the plants, and she smiled as she took in the flowers that Aurora had grown. They all would have been Clarke’s personal choice, too.

“Want me to write down what kind these are for you?” she asks.

Truth be told, Clarke didn’t know why exactly Bellamy had come back so soon, or what he’d expected her to do with the pictures of his mom’s garden, but she understood that after loosing someone close to you, sometimes it’s just easier to share the person that they were, rather than talk about the loss, so she vowed to do her best to help him, even if it was only because she knew the pain of losing a parent.

“Yeah,” he said, his early outburst apparently forgotten. “And if you could tell me when would be the best time to plant them and things, that would be really awesome.”

“Sure, just let me find paper and a pencil,” she said, walking with his phone in her hand to the front counter.

He followed behind her, and then watched patiently as she zoomed in on the plants, panned across the photo of the front of his house, and mumbled to herself as she wrote. It only took five minutes for her to come up with a complete list of all that she could see in the picture. She handed it to him and leaned closer to explain what she’d written.

“So,” Clarke starts, pointing to the first item on the list with her pencil eraser. “She actually had quite a good amount of tulips planted kind of through out the flowerbed, and since we have cold winters, those will actually keep coming back every year, so you don’t need to worry about them. Same with these lilies, here,” she said, indicated a patch of color on his phone screen. “The tulips will actually be one of the first things you’ll see come up. They should be coming through any time now, actually. You’ve got hyacinths over here, which will come up on their own. They’re my favorite,” Clarke adds offhandedly.

She continues going down the list of perennials with him, telling him when to expect each of the plants to start greening up again.

“And then you’ve got the annuals. So these are flowers that you’ll have to plant again this year. Your mom had asters and blue-eyed daisies growing over here, and then geraniums and dahlias on this end. You can always change those up, though, if you don’t want the same things. I don’t know if she always replanted the same things or if she switched it up.”

“Changed them,” he said.

“Okay, so you’ve got lots of options. I’ve written down when the best time to plant the ones in the pictures is, but I can give you some recommendations on other ones if you want.”

“What are your favorites?” he asked. “Besides the hy-hya- what are they called?”

She chuckled. “Hyacinths.”

“Hyacinths,” he said fondly.

“Snapdragons are nice, and so are cornflowers. I love gerbera daisies. They’re really colorful, and they can actually grow to be quite big. Hmm, what else?” she thought, her finger going to her chin as she racked her brain. “You could do verbenas, or sweet peas, which are both gorgeous. Impatiens are really nice, too.”

He cut her off with a laugh. “Impatient. Sounds like you when you were trying to get to class,” he teased.

“It’s _impatiens_ , not impatient, dumbass,” she laughed. “Besides, you were the slowest walker on the planet, and I swear you only did it to irk me.”

“Oh, absolutely,” he confessed with a crooked grin.

“Fine then, take your flower list and leave,” she said, matching his smile.

“Only because you say it’s too early to plant them,” he said, tucking the list into her pocket. “I’ll be back in two weeks?”

“Make it three; I heard the weather is supposed to drop, so you should stay on the safe side.”

His smile faltered slightly. “Sounds good,” he said, turning and walking to the door. He stopped with his hand on the push bar and turned back to face her. “Oh, and Princess?”

“Yeah,” she asked.

“Thank you,” he said, softly and sincerely.

“Anytime, Bellamy,” she said with an honest smile, not one she used on her usual customers.

* * *

Come hang out with me on [Tumblr](wanheda-two-heda.tumblr.com/as) <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **I'M COLLECTING LETTERS & FAN ART FOR BOB & ELIZA TO GIVE TO BOB AT FAN EXPO. SUBMISSION DEADLINE IS AUGUST 16, 2017. SUBMISSION GUIDELINES CAN BE FOUND [HERE](http://youleftme-clarke.tumblr.com/bobbook).**
> 
> I do **actual** writing in my spare time! Come find me at [@pascale_writes](https://twitter.com/pascale_writes) or let's hang out on [Tumblr](http://youleftme-clarke.tumblr.com/)


	3. I Can Do a Consult

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> April comes around at Arkadia Floral, along with a new handful of new staff members, and one very frazzled Bellamy Blake looking for help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **I'M COLLECTING LETTERS & FAN ART FOR BOB & ELIZA TO GIVE TO BOB AT FAN EXPO. SUBMISSION DEADLINE IS AUGUST 16, 2017. SUBMISSION GUIDELINES CAN BE FOUND [HERE](http://youleftme-clarke.tumblr.com/bobbook).**

As the weeks went on, Clarke became increasingly busier. She had her entire staff working full time to ensure that everything was in order for spring planting. She had Monty and Jasper reorganizing the greenhouse flood tables so that every plant was where it should be. Maya was working nine to five everyday transplanting seedlings into pots ready for sale, and Harper had been called to start a week early to help with the potting. She’d hired Luna at Raven’s recommendation, along with Harper’s friend Zoe that Clarke had remembered from high school. She also had a pile of resumes sitting on her desk to go through. All her instincts told her that it would be a busy season, so she would need to look into taking on even more staff. This would be the first time in the four years that Clarke had owned Arkadia Floral & Garden Supply that they had so many different plants, flowers and vegetables, alike.

“Hey, Clarke,” Raven’s voice came through the walkie on her hip. “There’s a lady here who wants to know if we carry chipotle seeds.”

Clarke sighed and unclipped the radio, holding it to her mouth to reply. “You mean, to plant for this season?”

There was a pause before Raven answered. “Yeah, she says she wants to give them a try in her vegetable garden.”

Clarke rolled her eyes. “They’ll never grow in time. If she wanted seeds, they should have been planted in November. We have plants in aisle three that she can buy, but she can’t start them from seeds.”

“Sounds good. I’ll send her over. Is someone working that area? I’m kind of backed up on cash.”

“Jasper’s in aisle two right now. Jasper, did you get that?”

“Ten-four, boss,” Jasper answered.

“Zoe, can I get you to head over to cash to give Raven a hand, please?”

“On my way,” Zoe’s voice crackled through the speaker.

She went back to the table in front of her, amazed at the mess that customers could manage to make in so little time. She’d had Luna organize this table before leaving the night before, and it wasn’t even two hours into the workday before her plants were all out of order, vegetables on the annuals table, perennials inside instead of in the yard. Things were just all out of order.

“Busy day, Princess?” a deep voice behind her asked.

She turned to meet Bellamy with a smile. “You could say that. It’s just a little hectic. I was beginning to think that you weren’t going to come back.”

“Miss me?” he teased.

“I just like seeing that you haven’t given up on Aurora’s garden.”

“I haven’t. I know you said three weeks last time we talked, but I ended up super busy with work. My students are working on a culminating essay, and they’re having a lot more trouble than I thought they would. I ended up drowning in correcting drafts. I hope it’s not too late to start,” he said worriedly.

“There’s not much difference between three weeks and a month, Bellamy. You’re fine. Do you have the beds cleaned out and ready?”

“About that,” he said, his hand going to the back of his neck. “I wanted to start that today since I managed to clear my weekend, and then I got in front of it today, and I realized that everything that’s green looks like a plant to me, and I don’t want to pull up the good stuff and leave all the weeds.” He brushed a hand over his face. “I’m in way over my head, Clarke. I don’t know what I’m doing, but I don’t want to screw it up, because it’s important.”

“Clarke, we need you out in the tree yard. Someone has a question for you,” Harper’s voice squawked through her walkie-talkie.

Clarke looked up at Bellamy. “One sec,” she asked pleadingly.

She pulled her radio up to her mouth. “Zoe, are you good on cash by yourself for a bit?”

“She should be fine,” Raven answered. “There’s only one more person in line.”

“Okay, Rae, do you think you could go help Harper? I’ve got my hands full with a customer right now. Harper, I’m gonna send you Raven to answer any questions the customer has, okay?”

“No problem, Clarke,” Raven answered.

“Sounds good. Thanks,” Harper confirmed.

“I’m sorry,” Bellamy apologized. “I’m keeping you from work. I’ll figure it out.”

He turned to leave, but Clarke caught his wrist. “No, wait. You’re not keeping me from work. This is my work.” She dropped her hold quickly when he looked down to see her small fingers still wrapped around his wrist.

He gave her a small smile. “I’m probably the most annoying customer you’ve got,” he said.

“Not by a long shot. Okay, I’ll make you a deal.”

“Shoot.”

“We close at five tonight. Let’s go around right now and pick out what you’ll need, and you can bring them home and set them out by the flowerbeds, out of the sun, and when we close, I’ll come by and do a consult – free of charge – because I love what you’re doing, and I really want to see it succeed.”

“Clarke, you don’t have to – ”

“I don’t, but I want to. What do you say?”

“Sounds like a deal to me,” he said, holding out his hand for her to shake.

She took it, aware of his firm grasp, the way his large hand dwarfed hers, and how his calloused fingers felt on her sun-warmed skin. He smiled at her, and she returned it.

She grabbed a cart and started leading Bellamy up and down the aisles, pointing out the different plants that he could add to his mother’s garden, talking about what each one needed in terms of sunlight and water, and he would ask for her thoughts on colors and number. It took an hour, but by the end of it, Bellamy had everything that he would need to start on the flowerbeds.

“So, if you just bring this to the front, Raven will check you out,” Clarke said.

“She’ll check me out, will she?” he asked with a smirk.

Clarke rolled her eyes and shoved his shoulder playfully. “You have not changed one bit since high school,” she said, laughing.

“You have. I don’t think the Clarke from back then would have had the patience to put up with me like this.”

“I liked you back in high school. You were an ass, but you were smart, and Octavia adored you. I never hate you, just thought that you could use some growing up.”

“I definitely did have some growing up to do,” he agreed. “I like to think that I have.”

“Yeah, and then you go and make comments like the one you just did. Keep it up, Blake. You’ve got some more maturing to do.”

“Excuse, Ms. Griffin?” came a deep yet hesitant voice from behind her.

She turned to see a very tall man looking down at her. With his shaved head and tribal tattoos snaking all the way up one side of his neck, he looked less like he belonged among her delicate flowers, and more like he should be behind the bar at the bar down the street.

“Yes, give me one moment, please,” Clarke answered the customer politely.

She turned back to Bellamy. “I should get out of your hair,” he said.

“I’ll see you at five?” she asked.

“Yeah, and I’ll owe you big time. You remember where the house is?”

“Yep! And I don’t think I’ll forget a favor owed to me by the infamous Bellamy Blake.”

He gave her a parting smirk and pushed his cart up to the front. Clarke turned back to the customer that was patiently waiting a polite distance away, looking at her displays and reading the information cards that she and Raven had spent hours writing, printing, and laying out.

“How can I help you?” she asked.

“Hi,” he said, holding out his hand to her. Clarke shook it. “My name is Lincoln. My friend Luna said that you might be hiring, and I don’t want to sound desperate, but I really do need a job.”

“Okay,” Clarke said, sizing up the man in front of her. “Do you know anything about plants, Lincoln?”

To her surprise, he knew quite a bit. He told Clarke about how his aunt, the woman who raised him, was very in touch with nature, and that she’d taught him all about plants and trees and animals from the moment he could walk and talk. To Clarke’s great satisfaction, he was extremely knowledgeable when it came to trees, which would save her from having to rotate staff around like she’d done while speaking with Bellamy.

“When are you available to start?” Clarke asked.

“Whenever you need me, really.”

“Well, you look like you came dressed for the job. Are you free today?”

The smile that the man gave her was blinding. It looked so out of place on his hard body, though, Clarke thought, maybe it was the rough exterior that looked so out of place on this man who had, in their short conversation, shown Clarke that he was one of the softest, most environmentally caring people she’d ever met. He reached out to shake her hand hard and fast, and Clarke nearly laughed at his excited state.

“Absolutely,” he said.

“Well, not anymore,” Clarke said, pulling her walkie out.

“Zoe, I’m gonna need you on cash for the rest of the shift. You can call Harper or Monty over if it gets too busy. Raven, can you meet me in my office now, please?”

“I’ll let Harper or Monty know if I need them,” Zoe answered.

“On my way right now,” Raven said.

“Ooooh, someone’s in trouble,” Jasper singsonged.

“Jasper, get back to work,” Clarke snapped, though she was smiling.

“Yes, boss,” the young boy grumbled.

“Come with me,” Clarke said to Lincoln.

She led the man to her office where Raven was already waiting.

“Raven, meet Lincoln. Lincoln, meet Raven. You’re both friends of Luna’s.”

“Yes,” Lincoln said. “I’ve heard a lot about Raven.”

“Yike,” Raven said with a laugh.

“I’ve just hired Lincoln on, and I think he’s going to be a lot of help out in the tree yard, which we really need,” Clarke explained, and Raven nodded. “He’s going to start this afternoon. Can you show him what he needs to know and get him all set up, and then show him around the store and whatever else it is that I’m forgetting to mention?”

Raven laughed but nodded.

“Raven is my general manager,” Clarke explained. “She’ll get you all good to go. You’ll have a walkie, so if you need anything, you can just call for her or me and we can help you out. Sound good?”

“Sounds great.”

“Good. I’m glad to have you onboard. Oh, and Rae, I’m gonna need you to walk Zoe through closing procedures tonight. I was going to do it, but something came up, and I’d rather you have someone to help you close than make you do it alone.”

“Big date?” Raven asked with a wink.

“Don’t I wish. No, I’m doing a consult.”

“Really? I didn’t see one in your schedule. I could pop over and do the consult if it would make things easier for you.”

“No, this one is off the books. I’ve got it. Thanks for the offer, though. Now, go show our new employee around.”

“Will do. Let me know if you need any help with the follow-up for that consult.”

“You don’t need to manage me,” Clarke teased her friend.

“I don’t know. Maybe I do. You’ve been having me do all the consults for two years.”

“Yeah, but this one is special.”

* * *

Come hang out with me on [Tumblr](youleftme-clarke.tumblr.com/ask) <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **I'M COLLECTING LETTERS & FAN ART FOR BOB & ELIZA TO GIVE TO BOB AT FAN EXPO. SUBMISSION DEADLINE IS AUGUST 16, 2017. SUBMISSION GUIDELINES CAN BE FOUND [HERE](http://youleftme-clarke.tumblr.com/bobbook).**
> 
> I do **actual** writing in my spare time! Come find me at [@pascale_writes](https://twitter.com/pascale_writes) or let's hang out on [Tumblr](http://youleftme-clarke.tumblr.com/)


	4. You're Lucky You're Cute

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke heads to Bellamy's after work to help him out with restoring Aurora's garden.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the comments and kudos. Keep them coming, they really do help me post faster.
> 
> **I'M COLLECTING LETTERS & FAN ART FOR BOB & ELIZA TO GIVE TO BOB AT FAN EXPO. SUBMISSION DEADLINE IS AUGUST 16, 2017. SUBMISSION GUIDELINES CAN BE FOUND [HERE](http://youleftme-clarke.tumblr.com/bobbook).**

“Offer still stands,” Raven called from the cash as Clarke walked to the back to go punch out at five. “I can do the consult if you want.”

“Just close up here, and you’ll be a lifesaver,” Clarke called back.

As she neared the staff room Raven’s voice came through the radio. “When we go for drinks Friday night, I want to know what’s so special about this consult. You’re smiling like a dork.”

Clarke shook her head and ignored her friend, punching out and taking her sweater from the hook in her office.

“I am _not_ smiling like a dork,” Clarke shot back at her friend as she passed the front counter on the way out.

Raven laughed. “Whatever you say, babe,” she called, but Clarke was already out the door. She waved to her best friend without looking back.

She headed to her faded red pick up parked in the employee lot, and was surprised to find that the air was actually quite warm. She rolled her windows down as soon as she sat in the truck, turning up the volume as one of her favorite songs came on the radio. The drive to Aurora’s house was short. Their small town had condensed its residential area into one area, so once Clarke turned onto the residential boulevard, taking the three turns to the property was quickly done. She drove up the long driveway, the house coming into view as she neared.

Clarke had never been one for architecture, but Aurora’s house had always been something else. It’s blue siding and white shutters over two stories had impressed Clarke from the moment she saw the house, but what really sold her on it was the wrap-around porch, all painted white with a dainty railing and thick beams. She hopped out of her truck and took in the beautiful house with her hands on her hips, eyes squinting against the evening sun. She heard a door shut, and looked to see Bellamy sauntering across the porch toward her.

“Hey,” he greeted with a smile.

“Hey,” she said.

“To be honest, I didn’t think you’d actually show.”

“I told you I would, didn’t I?”

“I guess you did.”

“So, show me what you’ve got to work on!” Clarke said in a peppy voice.

He led her over to the brick-lined flowerbeds, one that lined the front of the house, and the other in the middle of the front yard.

“Let’s start with the one out here,” Clarke said after walking around the one in the center of the yard. “I think this one needs less work.”

“ _Let’s_?” Bellamy asked skeptically.

“Did you think that you were getting an easy out?” Clarke laughed. “I didn’t say that I was coming over to do your work for you.”

He laughed, an honest smile crossing his face. “Can’t blame me for trying,” he said as he pulled a pair of worn out gloves from the back pocket of his black jeans.

“Wouldn’t be you if you didn’t. I’m just gonna run back to the truck and grab my stuff.”

Clarke came back quickly with a hat pulled low over her eyes to keep her hair out of her face and her favorite pair of gloves. They went to work easily, Clarke pointing things out to Bellamy, showing him what to do and how to do it as she worked, and the conversation never lulled.

“Okay, wait, so how do you know what you’re pulling out right now isn’t actually a plant?” Bellamy asked as they were finishing up the first bed.

“Bellamy,” Clarke said, exasperated, as she turned to him with a look on her face as if to ask if he was being serious. He raised an eyebrow. “It’s a dandelion. You can’t tell me that you’ve never seen a dandelion before.”

“Yeah, but they’re usually yellow or white and poofy. That one doesn’t even have a flower.”

“Because it hasn’t bloomed yet! You know that you’re supposed to pull them before they become white and floofy, right? That’s when they spread.”

“I said _poofy_ , not _floofy._ Gosh, Clarke, get it right,” he teased.

Clarke shoved his shoulder playfully and, because he was in a squat beside her to see what she was doing, he wasn’t able to keep his balance. He fell over laughing.

“You’re impossible,” she groaned.

“You’re the one who pushed me!”

“You’re the one who doesn’t know what a dandelion looks like!”

“You’re the one who’s supposed to be helping me!”

“You’re lucky you’re cute,” Clarke said before she could stop herself.

“What did you say?” he asked with a shit-eating grin.

Clarke could feel her face heat up as her blush crept from her neck all the way up to her ears. She turned to continue pulling weeds, not willing to meet his gaze.

“Nothing,” she mumbled.

“Tell me what you said, Clarke,” Bellamy said with a smile in his voice.

“You know,” she said as she stood, still too nervous to look at him. “I don’t have to be here.” She wiped the dirt from her palms onto her jeans. “If you’re just going to be difficult, I’m gonna go.”

She turned to leave, but Bellamy caught her wrist, dropping it as soon as she turned to him.

“Please, don’t go. I need you. I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, whatever,” Clarke mumbled, walking instead to the flowerbed at the front of the house. “Come on, we’re not done.”

He jogged after her, catching up with an easy smile on his face. “Thank you, Princess,” he drawled.

“Yeah, yeah.” She rolled her eyes. “You owe me a beer for putting up with you.”

“I thought you put up with me because I’m cute,” he said with the same, annoying, grin.

Clarke groaned loudly.

“I owe you a beer for helping me like this,” Bellamy conceded. “All teasing aside, I really do appreciate what you’re doing.”

She gave him a sincere smile at that.

* * *

Clarke stood up to survey her work just as the sun started ducking closer to the horizon. The cool May air sent a shiver down her spine. Bellamy noticed out of the corner of his eye and worry creased his forehead.

“Are you cold? I can get you a sweater or something,” he said quickly.

“No, it’s fine. Mine’s in the truck.” She looked down at her watch. “I should head home, anyway. It’s already past seven, and I haven’t eaten yet.”

“Shit, you should have said something. The lease I can do for you helping me out is feed you.”

She patted his arm to calm his worrying, stopping with wide eyes as soon as she realized what she was doing. “How about another time? I really should get home.”

“Sure,” Bellamy granted. “Another time. What do I do about all of these?” he asked, pointing with his thumb to all the plants she’d helped him pick out that afternoon, lined up neatly along the side of the house, that they hadn’t had time to plant. “I still don’t know what I’m doing with all of them.”

“Tomorrow?” she asked hopefully. Truth be told, Clarke had a lot of fun reconnecting with her high school rival, and she wasn’t eager for her time with him to end. “I can come by again after work and we can finish up.”

“Tomorrow, uh,” he trailed off, and Clarke looked up at him to find his face completely unreadable. “Tomorrow’s not a good day,” he said finally.

“Oh, uh, okay, well, how about I leave you my number and you text me when you’re free?”

“Yeah, that works,” Bellamy said, and Clarke could have sworn that his voice was tinged with a hint of sadness.

She gave him her card, and he looked at it before tucking it into his pocket.

“Just water the flowers before you go in tonight, and they’ll be fine, but don’t wait to long to plant them,” Clarke instructed.

“Yes, boss,” Bellamy said.

Clarke laughed. “I think I liked _Princess_ better. Jasper calls me boss all the time.”

“Jasper Jordan?”

“Yeah, do you know him?”

“No, one of my good friends knows his roommate. You remember Miller?”

“Monty is the sweetest,” Clarke said, before realizing what he’d asked her. “Wait, you’re still friends with Nathan Miller?”

“Yeah, never really lost touch.”

She laughed, thinking back to cafeteria lunches spent avoiding both Bellamy and Miller. Bellamy was one thing, but combined with Nate, their teasing was ruthless, and Clarke didn’t have the self-esteem she does now to be able to put up with their bad jokes and jabs.

“You two were a forced to be reckoned with.”

“Yeah, we really did give you hell, didn’t we?” Bellamy said, sounding almost regretful. “I really am sorry for what we put you through,” he said sincerely.

“Nah, don’t worry about it,” she said lightly, though his apology did warm her heart. He really had grown up. “It’s in the past.”

“Doesn’t mean that it wasn’t shitty at the time.”

“Just add it to the list of reasons why you owe me a beer.”

She shivered again.

“You should go, before you catch a cold.”

He walked her to her truck and watched as she got in. When she fastened her seatbelt, he leaned against the door, smiling through the open window.

“Thank you, Princess.”

“I had fun,” she admitted.

“Me too. Drive safe,” he said, backing away from the truck. “I’ll text you.”

* * *

Come hang out with me on [Tumblr](youleftme-clarke.tumblr.com/ask) <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **I'M COLLECTING LETTERS & FAN ART FOR BOB & ELIZA TO GIVE TO BOB AT FAN EXPO. SUBMISSION DEADLINE IS AUGUST 16, 2017. SUBMISSION GUIDELINES CAN BE FOUND [HERE](http://youleftme-clarke.tumblr.com/bobbook).**
> 
> I do **actual** writing in my spare time! Come find me at [@pascale_writes](https://twitter.com/pascale_writes) or let's hang out on [Tumblr](http://youleftme-clarke.tumblr.com/)


	5. Jasper!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke gets an unexpected visit at work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The story is really picking up, and I promise that the next few chapters will be emotional ;)
> 
> **I'M COLLECTING LETTERS & FAN ART FOR BOB & ELIZA TO GIVE TO BOB AT FAN EXPO. SUBMISSION DEADLINE IS AUGUST 16, 2017. SUBMISSION GUIDELINES CAN BE FOUND [HERE](http://youleftme-clarke.tumblr.com/bobbook).**

Clarke came into work the next day with a smile on her face. Spending time with Bellamy the night before had left her feeling refreshed in a way that she hadn’t felt in a long time. She loved each and every one of her friends, but Bellamy added a dynamic that her friend group lacked. Raven was organizing the display by the front counter when Clarke walked in, half an hour before opening, propping her sunglasses on her hat.

“Morning, Rae,” Clarke said as she walked by.

“Hey,” Raven said without turning. “Great choice hiring the new guy, yesterday. He was great with the customers.”

“Yeah? Good. I’m glad. We really needed someone for that department,” Clarke admitted to her friend.

“He fits right in, too,” Raven said with a teasing look on her face.

“What do you mean?” Clarke asked, perplexed.

“I mean, a guy built like a tree is selling trees. It’s perfect.”

“Oh, my God,” Clarke groaned with a laugh. “You’re terrible.”

The man in question walked through the door at that moment. “Morning, ladies,” he said with a charming smile.

“How was your first day?” Clarke asked by way of greeting.

“It was really good. I liked it. Thanks again for taking me on.”

“No, thank you. You’re doing me a huge favor with all your knowledge. You can’t even imagine how long I’ve been looking for someone like you.”

“Well, in that case, glad to be of service,” he said, and left to head to the staff room.

“He’s so nice,” Clarke said. “How does he look so terrifying and act like a puppy?” she asked her friend in a hushed tone.

“And I’m the terrible one?” Raven said with a raised brow. “How was the consult last night?”

“It was good,” Clarke said evasively.

“Oh, come on, Clarke! Spill! What are you hiding?”

“I was with Bellamy,” Clarke said quickly.

“ _The_ Bellamy? Clarke Griffin was with _Bellamy Blake_?”

Clarke groaned at Raven’s dramatic flair.

“Wait! Were you _with_ Bellamy?” the girl gasps.

“No!” Clarke nearly shouted. “No. I was working.”

Raven looked at her skeptically.

“I was. He’s back in town since his mom died. You know how she had those beautiful gardens?” Raven nodded. “He asked for help getting them all set up. He wants to do it for her, but says he has no idea what he’s doing.”

“So last night…?”

“I went over, we got the beds ready – the _flowerbeds_ , Raven – and then I went home.”

“That’s it?”

“That’s it.”

“Liar.”

“I flirted. He flirted. We flirted. I don’t know. It’s Bellamy! He was the biggest player in high school. It’s probably how he is with everyone.”

“Maybe he’s changed since high school.”

“Maybe he hasn’t. Come on, it’s time to open. Flip the sign. I’ll be in my office. I need to finish the payroll stuff for tomorrow.”

* * *

 

It’s almost before Clarke even thinks to take a break. Most of her payroll documents are done, but inputting Lincoln’s information into their overly complicated system had been a hassle, especially when her computer had crashed halfway through inputting the information that first time around, and she’d had to start over.

She walked into the break room to find Raven and Luna already sitting at the small table tucked into the back corner of the room, heads pressed close together, and Luna talking in a hushed tone.

“Hey,” Clarke said, sounding bored as she shut the door behind her.

The two girls snapped apart.

“Hey,” Raven answered. Her friend sounded dejected.

“You okay?” Clarke asked. “What happened?”

“It’s nothing. Just some asshole customer.”

“You should have come get me.”

“Nah, I handled it. It’s fine.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah,” Raven said with a hesitant smile.

Clarke walked over to the coffee maker to find the pot sitting empty on the warmer.

“Are you guys kidding? You didn’t even start a new pot?”

“Sorry,” Luna answered sheepishly.

Raven groaned as she pushed her chair back, standing. “Break’s over. I should get back. Zoe’s on cash by herself.”

“I’ll see you in a bit,” Luna said.

“Oh, Rae, you’re off at five today. I’m covering your close to make up for last night,” Clarke said.

“You don’t have to. I didn’t mind working.”

“Yeah, but I still feel bad about asking you to do it last minute. So, five. You’ve got just under four hours and then I want to see you gone. Go home. Take a bubble bath. Drink a bottle of wine. Do whatever, but I’m giving you the night off.”

“Have I ever mentioned that you’re my favorite boss,” Raven said as she reached the door.

“Nope, but you’re my favorite manager, so I’ve gotta keep you happy,” Clarke said with a wink.

“In that case, can I have next month off?” Raven teased.

“Don’t push it.”

Raven’s laugh echoed down the hall as she shut the door and went back to the greenhouse. Luna refilled her mug once the new pot of coffee had finished brewing and went back to work after apologizing again for not putting on more coffee. Clarke liked the girl. She was the very spirit that Clarke looked for in the employees that worked for her, calm, collected, and always seeing the positive side of things. She was reserved without being quiet. And she and Raven seemed to get alone well.

She pulled up the day’s schedule on her phone as she sipped her coffee. Raven, Luna, and Jasper were off at five, Monty and Zoe off at five-thirty, Harper and Lincoln weren’t off until six-thirty, and Maya had the day off, leaving Clarke alone to run the store for the last half-hour before closing. She didn’t mind. It was usually pretty quiet in the evenings, and she enjoyed the silence in the greenhouse as she closed down the store for the night.

After her break, she did a quick walk around the greenhouse and the yards outside to make sure that things were running smoothly, and it was practically two by the time she sat back down at her desk. As she woke up her computer to get back to work, her phone chimed with a text message.

* * *

 

 _ **[414-555-6338]                       2:03 PM**_  
Hey Clarke? It’s Bellamy

* * *

 

She saved his number before sending off her answer.

* * *

 

 _ **[Clarke]                                   2:05 PM**_  
Hey! What’s up? Thought you were busy today

 _ **[Bellamy Blake]                      2:05 PM**_  
Are you at work?  
I need to talk about something and don’t really know who else to go to

 _ **[Clarke]                                   2:07 PM**_  
Yeah, I’m at the store  
It’s not busy, if you want to come by

* * *

 

It took a few minutes for his answer to come through. Clarke had begun to think that he’d changed his mind.

* * *

 

 _ **[Bellamy Blake]                      2:12 PM**_  
You sure?  
I don’t want to be in the way

 _ **[Clarke]                                   2:13 PM**_  
You won’t be

 _ **[Bellamy Blake]                      2:15 PM  
**_ Okay, be there in 20?

 _ **[Clarke]                                   2:15 PM**_  
Sure, just let my girl at the front know that you’re here to see me and she’ll buzz me down.

* * *

 

He didn’t answer, and Clarke took it as confirmation that he was on his way. She picked up her walkie-talkie from its charging station on her desk and pressed down on the _Talk_ button.

“Who’s on cash right now?” she asked.

“Me,” came through at the same time that Harper said, “Raven is.”

“Raven, Bellamy’s stopping by. He said he’d be here around two-thirty. Can you just let me know where he gets here?” Clarke asked.

“Sure thing,” Raven answered.

“Wait, Bellamy _Blake_?” Jasper asked incredulously. Her lack of answer didn’t deter him, though. “Like _the_ Bellamy?”

“Clarke is seeing Bellamy?” Monty asked, chiming in.

“I’m not seeing anyone,” Clarke groaned into her radio. “If you guys don’t stop, I’m confiscating your radios and you’ll just have to walk everywhere to ask questions from now on.”

The radio cackled after a beat. “You and Bellamy would make cute babies, though,” Jasper said.

“Jasper!” Clarke snapped.

The radio chatter went dead, and Clarke looked around her office. The place was a mess of empty pots and seeds and labels. She had paper on every flat surface, way too many empty coffee mugs lying around, and a stack of aprons and sweaters sitting on a chair in the corner. She decided to at least bring the mugs back to the staff room to be washed, knowing that she could never get her office to look presentable in half an hour. When she got back, she hung up the aprons and shoved her sweaters into her bag to take home to wash at the end of the day. She figured that there was always the possibility that he just had more gardening questions and that he wouldn’t even see the inside of her office, but then again, he could always have just texted her those kinds of questions. His message had sounded more important than that.

“Bellamy’s here,” Raven’s voice said through the radio.

“Be right down.”

She took one last look around her office, knowing that it was looking about as good as it could get given the nature of her work, and walked down to the front of the store. She met his eyes before she’d even reached the counter, and the look on his face made her gut churn. His eyes were red-rimmed and tired, and he looked pale, his hair was a mess, and his clothes were rumpled, like he’d slept in them. She nodded for him to follow her, and he returned it with a tight-lipped nod of his own. He followed her to her office in silence, not offering a word of explanation, even after she’d shut the door behind them.

She turned to face him, searching his eyes for any explanation for his appearance.

“What’s wrong?” she finally asked, her whisper sounding too loud in the quiet room.

He let loose a shaky sigh, his arms coming up and fingers locking behind his neck as he looked down and kicked his toe into the dirt on the floor.

“Fuck,” he said, his voice breaking.

Clarke stepped closer to him. “Hey, hey, it’s okay. Tell me what happened,” she begged, wanting to help.

“It’s been eight months, today,” he said, his voice so quiet she almost couldn’t hear.

* * *

Come hang out with me on [Tumblr](youleftme-clarke.tumblr.com/ask) <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **I'M COLLECTING LETTERS & FAN ART FOR BOB & ELIZA TO GIVE TO BOB AT FAN EXPO. SUBMISSION DEADLINE IS AUGUST 16, 2017. SUBMISSION GUIDELINES CAN BE FOUND [HERE](http://youleftme-clarke.tumblr.com/bobbook).**
> 
> I do **actual** writing in my spare time! Come find me at [@pascale_writes](https://twitter.com/pascale_writes) or let's hang out on [Tumblr](http://youleftme-clarke.tumblr.com/)


	6. Eight Months

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bellamy learns just why Clarke got so invested in her work after her father died, and realizes that, maybe, he's just not so alone in what he's going through after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope that this chapter helps speed some things up. I know that there hasn't been a lot of one-on-one Bellarke, so here's your fill. 
> 
> I might not have a chapter to post tomorrow. I'm exhausted and sick, and I'd rather wait a day to post than give you a shitty chapter.
> 
> **I'M COLLECTING LETTERS & FAN ART FOR BOB & ELIZA TO GIVE TO BOB AT FAN EXPO. SUBMISSION DEADLINE IS AUGUST 16, 2017. SUBMISSION GUIDELINES CAN BE FOUND [HERE](http://youleftme-clarke.tumblr.com/bobbook).**

“Oh, Bellamy,” Clarke said, closing the gap between them and wrapping her arms around his shoulders, pressing her face against his collarbone. “I’m so sorry.”

He hesitated for a second before wrapping her in his arms. He shook against her, and she could feel warm tears where his face was pressed into her neck.

“It’s been eight months, and I just didn’t know where to go. I didn’t know who to talk to. I just – I just can’t believe that she’s already been gone for eight months.”

Clarke pulled him closer to her, her nose finding the crook at the base of his neck, almost like it had always belonged there. She rubbed her hands up and down his back soothingly, making quiet noises to assure him that it was all right that he’d come to her.

“I’m here, Bell. Right here,” she said against the fabric of his t-shirt.

He exhaled, and it sounded like a small laugh. “You’ve never called me that before,” he said.

“Picked it up from Octavia,” she explained. “I just never thought that we were close enough for me to use it. And you were a jerk.”

“I was a jerk,” he agreed.

They were speaking in hushed voices, still pressed close together. Clarke could feel Bellamy’s breath on the skin of her shoulder as he breathed. She felt his shuddering breaths slow into a more calm rhythm against her as her hands continued to soothe him.

“Do you think this happened because I deserved it?” he asked, and he sounded utterly broken.

Clarke’s head snapped up to look at him, but he stayed buried against her shoulder.

“Bellamy,” she said. “Look at me.”

He looked up, pulling a hand from around her waist to wipe his eyes. She left hers around his shoulders.

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly.

“No, I just – I want you to look at me when I tell you that absolutely nothing you did or didn’t do could have impacted what happened with your mom. It’s not your fault, Bellamy. I promise you.”

He pulled her back against him, and she melted against his chest, unconsciously thinking about how easily they fit together. Clarke ran her hands through his hair, and he softened, some of the tension leaving his body.

“I’m sorry,” he said, his mouth so close to her neck. She had to suppress a shiver at the feel of his breath, warm against her skin. “We’ve barely gotten back in touch, and I just show up to your work and unload on you like this.”

“Hey, I’m a card-holding member of the dead parent club, remember? I know what it’s like to be where you are,” she murmured against his shoulder.

“Thank you,” he said, stepping back. “I’m sorry if this is awkward.”

When she looked at him, he was staring intently down at his shoes, but she could still see a bit of a blush creeping up his neck.

“I was just thinking about how I like that it’s not awkward,” she admitted.

“Yeah?” he asked, stepping forward.

His hand traced down her arm from her shoulder, making her breath stutter. Just as he reached her wrist, a knock at the door had her jumping back. His hand went to the back of his neck, and he looked away, embarrassed. Clarke cleared her throat and went to open her door.

Jasper looked sheepish and tried to hide the fact that he was peeking around her to look at Bellamy.

“Yes?” Clarke prompted.

“We, uh, we ran out of begonias in hanging baskets, and there are none left in the overflow greenhouse.”

“Okay, can Harper go back into the potting room to plant some?”

“They’re actually really backed up and Monty and I are flooded with customers, too. I didn’t want to interrupt. I know you’re doing, uh, payroll, but we’re kind of desperate.”

“Okay, I’ll head back and do some up. I should have some ready to go in half an hour. If people are asking, tell them that they’re gonna have to wait.”

“Thanks boss. You’re a lifesaver.”

“It’s my store, Jasper. I’d be tanking myself if I didn’t help,” she told him as though they’d had this conversation a million times before.

“Yeah, yeah, I know. Okay, half an hour. I’ll tell them,” he said, before turning on his heel and jogging back to work.

She turned to Bellamy, and the older man was slowly pacing across her office. He looked uncertain of what to say.

“Bellamy –” she started.

“I should go,” he said. “You’re busy, and I don’t want to slow you down.”

“Or you could stay?” she asked hesitantly. “I know that talking with people who understood really helped after Dad – I just don’t want you to go if you’re not feeling any better. And, the potting room is actually a really good place to think.”

“You’ll tell me if I’m in the way?” he checked.

“Promise,” she said with a wink.

“Lead the way then,” he said as he made a show of prompting her to exit the office ahead of him.

Bellamy was silent as he sat off to the side and watched her work. Clarke settled in to her work with practiced ease, always more comfortable in the potting room than anywhere else in the greenhouse. She transplanted from the seeding trays to the sale pots with a speed that impressed even Raven, who’d been Clarke’s second from the day Clarke had taken over the store.

“Why do you do this?” Bellamy asked, breaking the silence.

“As the plants grow bigger, the roots need more room. They’ll die if they’re not transplanted,” she explained, not taking her eyes off the tray in front of her.

He chuckled. “No, I meant, this line of work in general,” he said.

“Why do you teach?” she asked.

“Because I like being able to make a difference in the lives of kids. And these students spend more time at school than at home, so I like knowing that chances are good that I’ll have a pretty good impact on them. Your turn.”

“I love the challenge of keeping things alive,” Clarke said honestly, and she didn’t see the way that Bellamy looked at her fondly. “I like that I can take these little tiny dried up seeds and turn them in to all the life in this greenhouse. I love how something so small and insignificant can turn into these beautiful plants and flowers. I like watching them grow, and knowing that it’s because of me.”

“Shit,” he said, looking at his feet. “Makes what I said sound stupid.”

“No, it doesn’t,” she chided. “I just love what I do. It’s honestly so relaxing.”

“I could use some relaxing these days.”

“Wanna help?”

“I don’t know if I’d be any good at it.”

She laughed. “It’s not rocket science. I’ll pass you the seedlings, and all you do is shove them into the soil.

* * *

 

They settled into an easy system after Clarke showed Bellamy where and how to plant the small seedlings she handed him. She had fifty baskets ready for Jasper within the half hour she’d told him to wait, and then she and Bellamy set on finishing a hundred more before Raven popped her head into the potting room.

“Hey, I’m heading out,” she said. “You need anything before I go?”

“Nope,” Clarke answered the brunette with a smile. “Go home. Relax.”

Raven laughed. “Fine. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Goodnight!” Clarke called after her. She picked up her walkie. “Jasper, Luna, it’s five. Go home. Goodnight.”

“Night, boss,” Jasper answered.

“See you tomorrow, guys,” Luna said.

* * *

 

By the time she sent Monty and Zoe home a half hour later, Bellamy’s spirits had greatly improved. He was chatting animatedly as they made their way around the now quiet store, Clarke getting a head start on her closing duties. Bellamy told her stories about his students and all the ridiculous things they got into on a daily basis. It was clear from the way that he spoke that he loved what he did and all the kids he got to work with. She told him as much.

“I really do,” he said. “They make getting up to go to work just a little bit easier. It’s never a dull moment with them. Some days I wish they’d just sit still long enough for me to teach a lesson, but they’re not bad.”

“Clearly not, if you still have the energy to spend your Sunday helping me at work,” she teased.

“You were right about it being a good place to think.”

“I’m always right.”

“You wish you were always right,” he said, shoving lightly against her shoulder.

She laughed. “Anytime you need someone to talk to, or a place to hang out, you can always come here. You can hang out in my office or out here or wherever. This place was my hideaway after my dad died. No reason it shouldn’t be the same for you.”

“Thanks, Princess.”

* * *

 

“I hate to kick you out,” Clarke said at half-past seven. “But we closed half an hour ago, and I just finished everything that I need to do, so unless you want to stay here until we open tomorrow, it’s time to go.”

Bellamy looked up from the book he was reading while sitting at her desk, and Clarke’s chest filled with warmth at how comfortable her looked. No one had ever looked more at home sitting at her desk than Bellamy Blake did in that moment, not even her.

“You okay?” he asked.

She shook herself out of her daze. She hadn’t been thinking about how much she’d want to see him there again. Absolutely not. “Fine,” she said.

He got up and grabbed his sweater, passing her the keys sitting on the edge of her desk, and talking her radio from her to place it on the charging station. They walked to the front door in companionable silence, Bellamy looking around, still taking in all of the wonders of her store with wide eyes. It really did feel like being on another planet, surrounded by so much green. He waited while she locked the door behind them, and then walked her to her truck.

“This is me,” she said with a small smile, her hand on the door handle.

“I don’t know how to say how much I appreciate you letting me work through my stuff with you,” he said. “I just – I knew that I would have been a mess if I’d stayed home, but I didn’t know where else to go.”

“I’m glad that you texted,” she answered honestly. “I’m really glad that you trusted me enough to know that you could come to me.”

“I’m just happy that I didn’t ruin my chances by being an asshole in high school,” he said with a chuckle.

“You didn’t,” she said, quiet.

“Come by tomorrow? We can finish up the front yard.”

“I’m not off until seven again,” she said with a frown.

He returned her frown with a matching one. “Tuesday?” he asked hopefully.

“Tuesday works. It’s my half-day, so I’m finished by three.”

His answering smile made it impossible for her not to smile as well.

“I’ll see you Tuesday, then,” he said, not making any move to leave.

“Good night, Bellamy,” she said softly. “I’m really glad that you decided to come into my store a month and a half ago. I’m glad we got back in touch.”

“I’m glad I ran back into you,” he said. “Just talking to you has made things so much easier. You don’t even know.”

“I think I do,” she said with a conspiratorial smile.

“Right. Dead parents club.”

“Dead parents club,” she affirmed, and for once, she didn’t feel so alone in it.

“Good night, Princess. See you Tuesday,” he said, before turning away to walk back to his car.

“See you Tuesday, Bellamy,” she said softly, but he was already out of earshot.

* * *

Come hang out with me on [Tumblr](youleftme-clarke.tumblr.com/ask) <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **I'M COLLECTING LETTERS & FAN ART FOR BOB & ELIZA TO GIVE TO BOB AT FAN EXPO. SUBMISSION DEADLINE IS AUGUST 16, 2017. SUBMISSION GUIDELINES CAN BE FOUND [HERE](http://youleftme-clarke.tumblr.com/bobbook).**
> 
> I do **actual** writing in my spare time! Come find me at [@pascale_writes](https://twitter.com/pascale_writes) or let's hang out on [Tumblr](http://youleftme-clarke.tumblr.com/)


	7. Look What the Cat Dragged In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone comes by to visit Clarke on a busy night at work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this one is a little shorter than the others, but I hope that the content makes up for it!
> 
> **I'M COLLECTING LETTERS & FAN ART FOR BOB & ELIZA TO GIVE TO BOB AT FAN EXPO. SUBMISSION DEADLINE IS AUGUST 16, 2017. SUBMISSION GUIDELINES CAN BE FOUND [HERE](http://youleftme-clarke.tumblr.com/bobbook).**

Monday was the slowest day at the store. Most of her regular customers were back to work, and the casual gardeners would be waiting until the weekend before coming in for more supplies, so she had minimal staff on hand. Lincoln had the day off, along with Jasper and Monty who had excitedly texted her that they were planning a party for Friday night and begging her to come. She’d said that she’d think about it. Raven had started at noon and was only working a half-day, along with Maya who’d come in to open but left at one. Harper and Zoe were the only two, along with Clarke, who were working the full day.

She’d spent the day cleaning and organizing the display tables, and making sure that everything was in order after the weekend rush. There wasn’t much to transplant. She’d had Harper catch up on the plants they’d run low on the previous day, and by five o’clock, the two girls had the overflow greenhouse stocked back up. She was thinking about sending Zoe home early when Raven’s voice came through the radio at her hip.

“Clarke, someone’s at the front asking for you,” she said.

“Be right there,” Clarke answered, mumbling something to Harper about annoying customers coming in only to complain.

She took her time walking to the front, but a slow smile crossed her face at a familiar sight. A man stood, chatting with Raven, his back to her, but she recognized the broad shoulders under the red and black flannel, and the messy shock of inky black curls. She took a beat to take in the strong legs covered in black denim, the muscular arms crossed in front of him on the counter. Raven met her eyes over his shoulder with a knowing look on her face, and Bellamy turned around quickly.

“Look what the cat dragged in,” Clarke said with a teasing lilt.

“Nice to see you, too, Princess,” he said with a smirk.

Ravens eyes behind him went wide. “ _Princess_?” she mouthed.

Clarke shrugged, and Bellamy gave her a questioning look.

“Raven was saying that I have dirt on my face,” she said, throwing her friend under the bus.

Raven cackled behind them before turning to find work to do.

“Nice to see you,” Clarke said in the softer tone she’d grown to use around Bellamy now that her friend was gone.

He smiled sweetly. “I uh – I felt like I owed you for yesterday, and I had this meeting at work that ran late, and I didn’t feel like making dinner. You said you were here until seven, and I remembered that you didn’t eat until after you left, yesterday, so I thought I’d kill two birds with one stone,” he rambled.

She quirked her eyebrow at him. “And what two birds would that be?” she asked.

“Oh! Uh –” he reached behind him and offered her a paper bag that she hadn’t noticed on the counter behind her. “I got takeout. Chinese food. I thought we could – I don’t have to make dinner, and you don’t have to wait until eight to eat. If you want. I should have asked when you break was. Shit. I can – you know what, I can go. I didn’t think this through.”

A small laugh tumbled out from between her lips. She reached out and placed her hand on his wrist reassuringly, pulling her radio out from her apron pocket.

“I’m going on break,” she said. “If anyone needs me, find Raven instead.”

Bellamy smiled at her.

“I’m the boss. I take a break when I want to take a break,” she told him. “My office?” she offered.

“Good a place as any.”

* * *

 

They ate in comfortable silence, Bellamy having unknowingly brought Clarke dinner from her favorite takeout place in town. She spoke up halfway through the meal.

“You know, I don’t think I’ve ever had a customer bring me dinner at work,” she said.

“I mean, you took a whole evening to help me with my mom’s garden.”

“Yeah, but I do that for a lot of people. It’s part of my job.”

“But you’re doing it for free for me.”

“Aurora was a regular here for years,” Clarke said, and then met his eyes. The look in them had her adding, “And you looked like you really needed someone.”

“So you pitied me?” he asked, and she couldn’t make out whether he was upset or teasing.

“No. I’ve never pitied you, Bellamy. I just – I’ve been where you are now, and I just wished someone had been there for me.”

He reached his hand out, placing it on the table between them. “Thank you,” he said.

She covered his hand with her own. “Absolutely. Anytime.” She squeezed his hand.

“I should let you get back to work,” he said, slipping his hand out from under hers and starting to gather their garbage.

Clarke helped him, and then walked with him back to the front of the store. They stopped at the door, and Clarke turned to him.

“Thank you for supper,” she said. “It was a nice surprise.”

“Glad you liked it,” he said with a slow smile, and it seemed like it was reserved just for her. “See you tomorrow?”

“Four o’clock? It’ll give you time to get home from work and settle down.”

“Sounds great, Princess.”

Before she could change her mind, Clarke lifted herself up on the tips of her toes and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him in for a hug. His arms went around her waist and held her briefly.

“Get back to work,” he said, his voice close to her ear.

“Yeah, yeah,” she groaned, slipping her arms from around him. His took a second longer to slide slowly from around her waist, his hands lingering on her hips. “Go,” she said. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Okay,” he said, finally removing his hands from her hips, and Clarke let loose the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding in.

He smiled at her once more before sliding out into the evening sun, letting a blast of cool air in. Clarke shivered. The minute the door was shut, Raven came out of seemingly nowhere, a devious smile all over her face.

“ _What_ in the _hell_ was that?” she asked, barely containing her excitement.

“Nothing,” Clarke said, though she could feel her neck start to heat up.

“That was not nothing! Did you see how he was looking at you? He brought you dinner, Clarke!” she nearly squealed.

“He brought me dinner because I’m doing his consult,” Clarke argued, tramping down the heat blooming in her chest.

“I’ve been doing your consults for years! The best I’ve ever gotten is a thank you card in the mail! He likes you! Do you like him?”

“He doesn’t like me, Raven,” Clarke said, and a voice in her head said that the exasperated tone was just as much for Raven as it was for herself. “I’m doing the consult for free, so he felt like he owed me.”

“Uh huh, sure. Because buying you dinner is so much easier than just saying _Hey, Clarke, I really feel like I should be paying you for this, so how much do I owe you?_ Okay, Clarke. You tell yourself whatever you want to, but Bellamy bringing you dinner at work is absolutely adorable, and one hundred percent not normal client behavior. Nice way to ignore my question, by the way.”

“If you want to play it like that, should I mention that when I drove by your place on the way to the grocery store the other day, Luna’s car was in your driveway?”

“Hey, did you know that Monty and Jasper are having a party on Friday night?” Raven said in the least smooth conversation change Clarke had ever seen.

“Guess our girls night is on hold, then,” Clarke said, if only because bring up Luna had ended Raven’s rant about Bellamy. Talking about Bellamy and the feelings that he may or may not have for her was only making Clarke think about the crush she may or may not have on him, and it was not something that she wanted to explore. “Are you gonna bring Luna?”

“I don’t know. Are you gonna bring Bellamy?”

“Shut up, and get back to work.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **I'M COLLECTING LETTERS & FAN ART FOR BOB & ELIZA TO GIVE TO BOB AT FAN EXPO. SUBMISSION DEADLINE IS AUGUST 16, 2017. SUBMISSION GUIDELINES CAN BE FOUND [HERE](http://youleftme-clarke.tumblr.com/bobbook).**
> 
> I do **actual** writing in my spare time! Come find me at [@pascale_writes](https://twitter.com/pascale_writes) or let's hang out on [Tumblr](http://youleftme-clarke.tumblr.com/)


	8. Hurry!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Tuesday comes around, Clarke drives over to Aurora Blake's old home to help Bellamy plant his gardens, but Mother Nature might have different plans for them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry that I took so long to update! I've been ridiculously sick, and I'm only now starting to get back into my writing groove. I'll try to have some more posted soon!
> 
> **I'M COLLECTING LETTERS & FAN ART FOR BOB & ELIZA TO GIVE TO BOB AT FAN EXPO. SUBMISSION DEADLINE IS AUGUST 16, 2017. SUBMISSION GUIDELINES CAN BE FOUND [HERE](http://youleftme-clarke.tumblr.com/bobbook).**

When Clarke pulled her truck into Bellamy’s driveway, she could already see him moving various plants around the yard, pacing back and forth before pausing and placing the pot down in a specific sport. She took in the way his dark jeans hugged his hips, how his white tee was tight across his muscular back and already starting to stick to him with sweat. He was attractive; she would never deny that. He brushed his messy curls out of his face with his forearm, and she hopped out of her truck. He turned to look at her when she shut her door, and the smile that spread across his face at the sight of her had her heart doing a ridiculous little flip.

 _Calm down, Clarke,_ she told herself. _There is no way that you are going to have a crush on Bellamy Blake._

He sauntered over to her, his smile never fading, and gave her a quick wave as he drew near.

“You’ve been busy,” she said by way of greeting.

“I’ve been trying. I thought I’d lay some things out and see how they looked before you got here. You’re the expert, though, so if you think I should change something – ”

“Why don’t you let me see what you’ve got before assuming that you did it wrong?” she said.

He gave a small chuckle. “Yeah, okay. Yeah. Makes sense.”

“Are you nervous, Blake?” she teased.

She wanted to ignore the blush that made its way up his neck, but she was too pleased with herself to tamp down her smile.

“I’ve never done this before, okay? I just want to get it right,” he admitted.

She wrapped her arm around his elbow and pulled him towards the flowerbeds. “Come on,” she said. “Come show me.”

She lead the way in silence, trying hard to not pay attention to how ridiculously toned the bicep she was holding was. She could admit to herself that Bellamy had great arms. It didn’t mean anything. A lot of people had great arms. She stood beside him at the edge of the bed in the middle of the lawn and admired his handiwork.

“You know, I only see a few things that should be moved around, but other than that, it’s a job well done, Blake. If you keep this up, you won’t be needing me at all.”

“In that case, I’m going to slow down.” He turned to face her, looking down to meet his eyes, and she was suddenly aware of the fact that she was still holding his arm. “I’m not ready to be rid of you yet,” he said, and Clarke swallowed, letting go of his arms and turning back to the garden.

Concentrating on the plants was easier, safer. Plants, flowers, she knew. Flowers didn’t make her heart swell in her chest, and they didn’t make her breath stall when they made vague comments about her presence. She looked down, away from Bellamy, as she started to pick up a few of the still-potted plants.

“This one needs to go in front of the house. It can’t be in the full sun, or it’ll burn,” she said, holding the plant out in his general direction while continuing to look down at the dirt. “And I wouldn’t put these two side by side. They both like a lot of space, so they’re going to literally strangle each other.”

She started walking towards the front porch, leaving Bellamy in her wake. She was suddenly eager to be done with their meeting. She wanted to call Raven and have the other girl bring by a few bottles of wine so that she wouldn’t have to think about what all the crazy things she’d been feeling since putting her truck in park meant.

“Let’s see what you’ve got going on up here,” she said as Bellamy finally reached her, placing the plant she’d handed him on the edge of the brick lining. “I like it,” she said truthfully. “It’s really nice, Bellamy. I think you’re good to go from here,” she said, already turning to leave.

“Clarke!” Bellamy called, jogging to catch up to her. “Wait! I still have no idea how to get these in the ground.” He caught her elbow, and she shied away from his hold. “Are you okay? Did I say something?”

“No, no, it’s not –”

“I can pay you if that’s what –”

“No, Bellamy, don’t be silly. I told you that I was doing this for free.”

“Then why are you trying to run off?” he asked, an adorable crease forming between his eyebrows.

Clarke clenched her hands into fists at her sides to resist the urge to reach up and smooth it away. Instead, she sighed, looking down to avoid meeting his eyes.

“Sorry,” she said. “I don’t know, I just… Can we leave it at _I don’t know_?”

“Will you stay to help me out?” he asked tentatively.

“Yeah,” she said with a shy smile.

“Considered it dropped. Now, come show me how to pull these suckers out of their pots so I don’t just rip all the leaves off.”

Clarke laughed, but they walked by to the flowerbed together, Bellamy bumping his shoulder against hers and looking down to make sure that it had put a smile on her lips. She stuck her tongue out at him, and he tried to ruffle her hair. She ran ahead, giggling.

The rest of the evening went by quickly, and Clarke showed Bellamy how wide to dig the holes depending on the side of the pot, how to squeeze the sides of the flimsy pots to slide the plant out easily, and then how to fill the hole and pack the earth down to keep the plant sturdy.

“There you go,” Clarke said, standing to wipe her hands on her jeans once they’d finished the first bed. “One down, one to go.”

Bellamy looked up at the sky. “We might want to hurry, though. It looks like it might rain.”

Clarke glanced at the sky and found that the sun was nowhere to be seen. Instead, the early evening sky was covered in dark, ominous looking clouds. She’d been too distracted by her work and her conversation with Bellamy to even notice that the sky had darkened and that the temperature outside had dropped considerably.

“Bright side is that you won’t have to worry about watering these tonight,” Clarke said, rubbing her hands quickly up and down her arms.

“Are you cold?” Bellamy asked.

“I’ll warm up when we get back to work,” she said, kneeling in front of the flowerbed that lined the porch to begin working.

As they made their way from one end of the bed to the other, the temperature continued to fall, and goose bumps appeared on Clarke’s arms. She had a new reason to want to hurry to head home. When they were nearly done, the wind started to really pick up, scattering the empty bags of topsoil and discarded seedling pots. Bellamy swore, jumping to his feet to chase the debris, and Clarke laughed as bags and pots kept rolling away faster in every direction as soon as he got close enough to try to catch it.

“Very funny,” he shouted back, his voice distorted by the wind.

“Hurry!” Clarke called.

He managed to collect the garbage and run to drop it in his garage while Clarke finished planting the last of the flowers. She had two more seedlings to go when fat drops of water started to fall, splashing across her back and over the garden around her. Bellamy reappeared, his hair a complete mess, and his cheeks red from the cold wind.

“Help me finish before it pours!” Clarke said, and she nearly had to shout to be heard over the shrieking gusts.

They finished just as the sky opened up, and Bellamy pulled Clarke below the safety of the covered porch as rain fell by the bucket around them. They could hardly see in front of them with how hard the rain was falling. As much as Clarke had wanted to leave, she knew that there was no way to drive safely in the downpour, and that she would just have to wait for a break in the clouds before she could leave.

“ _Shit!_ ” she swore.

“You okay?” Bellamy asked over the wind.

“My windows are down!” she said, already stepping out into the rain.

“ _Clarke!_ You can’t drive in this!” Bellamy shouted after her.

“I know,” she called back, running towards her truck with her keys in her hand. “I won’t!” she promised.

Bellamy was gone when she made it back to the porch, winded from the run through the stinging cold May rain. He reappeared a moment later, poking his head out the door.

“Coming?” he asked. “I got you a towel.”

* * *

Come hang out with me on [Tumblr](youleftme-clarke.tumblr.com/ask) <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **I'M COLLECTING LETTERS & FAN ART FOR BOB & ELIZA TO GIVE TO BOB AT FAN EXPO. SUBMISSION DEADLINE IS AUGUST 16, 2017. SUBMISSION GUIDELINES CAN BE FOUND [HERE](http://youleftme-clarke.tumblr.com/bobbook).**
> 
> I do **actual** writing in my spare time! Come find me at [@pascale_writes](https://twitter.com/pascale_writes) or let's hang out on [Tumblr](http://youleftme-clarke.tumblr.com/)


	9. Pouring Rain and Fire Light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Soaking wet and trapped by the downpour, Clarke has no choice but to stay and accept Bellamy's offer to dinner. One glass of wine quickly becomes two, and then more, and suddenly walls are done, and truths are told. She can blame it on the wine in the morning, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy votes! I'm so proud of each and every one of those who voted for Bob in the Alpha Male Madness poll <3 every single apartment building, mountain, gas station, car, and street sign was worth it! 
> 
> I 100% have not given up on this story, but I'm still on medical leave, so updates will come slower, but they will still come. I'm taking a bit of a hiatus until later this month though, because my editor starts working on my novel on May 25th, so I need to make a few last changes before then and make sure that it's ready to go!
> 
> **I'M COLLECTING LETTERS & FAN ART FOR BOB & ELIZA TO GIVE TO BOB AT FAN EXPO. SUBMISSION DEADLINE IS AUGUST 16, 2017. SUBMISSION GUIDELINES CAN BE FOUND [HERE](http://youleftme-clarke.tumblr.com/bobbook).**

“That was freezing cold!” Clarke said, taking the towel from him and drying her hair as best she could.

Bellamy chuckled, and she turned to glare at him, but the look didn’t convey any malice, especially when she really took him in and noticed how his wet tee clung to his skin. The rain had made the white fabric nearly transparent, and Clarke couldn’t help her eyes from roaming across the broad plains of his chest, over his shoulder and his abs. He’d been attractive in high school, but now, now he was absolutely drool-worthy.

She looked away and toweled her hair, wringing out the water and then draped the towel over her shoulders, hoping that it would absorb some of the water soaking her shirt and the cold seeping down into her bones.

“I’ve got something you can borrow if you want,” Bellamy offered. “It’s the least I can do.”

She looked up at him shyly. Thinking that Bellamy was attractive was one thing, but thinking that Bellamy was attractive while snuggling comfortably into his too-big clothes was a dangerous combination. Ignoring her better judgment, she nodded and found herself saying, “please.”

He led her upstairs to his bedroom and dug through his dresser until he found an old, black _Ark University History Dept._ t-shirt and heather grey sweat pants that he handed her.

“The bathroom is just at the end of the hall,” he said.

“Thank you, Bellamy,”

“Anytime. Bring your clothes down, and I’ll throw it in the dryer while I make dinner.”

“You don’t have to make dinner. I’m sure the rain will let up in a few minutes, and I can get going.”

He took a step closer to her, and his eyes looked far away, but he had a small smile on his face. He reached up and wrapped one of her wet curls around his finger.

“Even if the rain stops, stay? I want you to.”

She found herself nodding without thinking twice. There was no way she could say no to this Bellamy, who looked the exact same as he did every day, but looked infinitely more vulnerable in this moment. She swallowed around the lump in her throat.

Bellamy blinked and dropped his hand, shaking his head to rid himself of the emotion that had taken him over, as if he’d suddenly realized what he was saying and where he was standing, and to Clarke, it felt like he’d been taken aback all of a sudden by the intimacy of his gesture, of what he was asking.

“Yeah, uh, yeah, okay. I’m gonna get changed, and I’ll meet you down stairs?”

The haze that surrounded Clarke vanished, and she backed up. “Yeah, okay.” She turned and headed to the bathroom, hearing Bellamy’s door click shut behind her. She slipped out of her wet clothes, her shirt hitting the floor with a resounding _clack_ as it slapped against the hard tile. Bellamy’s shirt was warm and soft, and it smelled like him, a heady odor that went right to her head. She wanted to leave her bra on, but it was cold, and soaked, and the wet fabric chaffed in all the wrong places. If she left it on, she’d soak the tee in a matter of minutes. She slipped it off quickly, hoping that the lack of undergarments wasn’t too obvious, but she nevertheless walked to the kitchen awkwardly with her arms crossed over her chest and her wet clothing dangling from her hand. She rounded the corner to the kitchen and found him moving things around in the fridge.

“Thank you,” she said, startling him.

His head snapped up, and he hit it on the door to the freezer above him. She had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing too loudly. The corners of her lips still managed to peek out from around her fingers.

“That’s right, Princess. Laugh at the guy deciding what’s going in your food,” he said with a chuckle.

“I’m sorry, that was just too funny not to laugh. Are you okay? Here, let me see,” she said around light laughter.

He stepped back as she stepped forward. “I think you’ve done enough. I don’t want you leaving me with a concussion or anything,” he teased.

“Bellamy Blake, would you calm down and let me make sure that you’re okay?”

He ducked his head and she stepped closer, dropping her wet clothes onto the counter and reaching forward to brush his curls aside and make sure he didn’t have a cut. He leaned into her touch, and she just stood still for a beat, her heart hammering away in her chest, before clearing her throat and announcing that he was all good.

“Here, let me go throw this in the dryer,” he said, reaching for her clothes at the same time that she did, protest on the tip of her tongue, but he got there first. “Oh, uh, sorry,” he said, hand going to the back of his neck that was steadily turning red at the sight of her blue lace bra sitting on top of the pile.

“It was wet,” Clarke offered sheepishly, because of course it was.

He cleared his throat, looked like he was going to say something, and then just left the room without another word.

* * *

 He made her spaghetti for dinner, the real stuff, not with the sauce from a jar like Clarke is used to, and she was shivering from the cold that had found it’s way into the core of her body, so he turned on the fireplace in the living room, and they’d eaten on the couch, each on opposite ends and careful not to touch. Clarke had her legs curled under her, her plate balanced precariously on her knees, and she was laughing at a story Bellamy had just told as he poured her a second – third? – glass of wine.

The rain had slowed, but it was still tapping steadily against the windows, and the sun had long since set, but they kept talking and talking, not caring about the time. Somewhere around halfway through the second bottle, Bellamy asked Clarke about her father’s death, and she knew that he was just looking for someone to confirm that he wasn’t alone in how he was feeling, so she answered each question as they came, reaching for her glass when she needed that little extra push to get an answer out, and when he paused before talking about his mother, she reached out and placed her hand over his where it rested on his knee. She rubbed her thumb across his knuckles as he talked, and he gave her a sad smile when he’d gotten out what he needed to say.

By midnight, Clarke’s eyes were starting to droop closed. She was lying with her head against the back of the couch, sitting and leaning back against the armrest.

“You have work in the morning, don’t you?” Bellamy said when he saw the time.

“It’s okay. I’ll be fine,” she slurred.

“You need to sleep. I’m too drunk to drive you home, so come on, you can have my bed.”

“No,” she said, and it sounded almost like a whine. “You have to deal with hundreds of mini-humans in the morning. You sleep. I’m ‘kay,” she mumbled. “Couch’s comfy,” she said, already starting to fall asleep, but patting the back of the couch for good measure.

The alcohol was making her brain fuzzy, but she was warm and comfortable, and safe, so falling asleep was easy, but her head refused to stop spinning. It felt heavy, and she couldn’t tell if she was actually moving or not. The last thing she remembers before falling asleep is her head on a soft pillow, the smell of Bellamy – sandalwood and salt water and sunshine - all around her, and a gentle brush of lips against her forehead.

**  
**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **I'M COLLECTING LETTERS & FAN ART FOR BOB & ELIZA TO GIVE TO BOB AT FAN EXPO. SUBMISSION DEADLINE IS AUGUST 16, 2017. SUBMISSION GUIDELINES CAN BE FOUND [HERE](http://youleftme-clarke.tumblr.com/bobbook).**
> 
> I do **actual** writing in my spare time! Come find me at [@pascale_writes](https://twitter.com/pascale_writes) or let's hang out on [Tumblr](http://youleftme-clarke.tumblr.com/)


	10. Have A Drink With Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke deals with the repercussions of showing up to work in the same clothes she left with the night before, and unexpected guests come by Jasper's party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this took so long to post! I'm slowly getting my life back in order, and I promise I'll be more diligent about updating! I've also got a few more fic ideas bouncing around in my head, including a longer one, but my novels always come first!
> 
> **I'M COLLECTING LETTERS & FAN ART FOR BOB & ELIZA TO GIVE TO BOB AT FAN EXPO. SUBMISSION DEADLINE IS AUGUST 16, 2017. SUBMISSION GUIDELINES CAN BE FOUND [HERE](http://youleftme-clarke.tumblr.com/bobbook).**

“Clarke Griffin,” Raven said with shock the minute Clarke walked into the greenhouse the next morning.

Clarke ignored her friend, and hurried to her office, her pace at a little more than a brisk walk.

“I have a feeling it’s going to be a busy day, today, so we’re going to need all hands on deck,” Clarke called back.

“Nuh-uh. No way. You do not get to dodge me like that,” Raven said, keeping up with her friend.

Clarke just continued on walking to her office, pretending like nothing was out of the ordinary. She rounded the corner at the back of the greenhouse and unlocked her office door, sliding in and hanging up her sweater as Raven stands in her doorway.

“Morning, Raven,” Clarke said with a cheery smile.

“You got laid last night!” Raven said incredulously.

“I didn’t get laid last night,” Clarke said, sitting at her desk and turning on her computer.

“You’re wearing the same clothes you left here with, your hair is a mess, and you’ve got zero makeup on. You slept with him!”

“Would you calm down,” Clarke said, giving her best friend a sideways glance. “I stayed over. It was pouring rain, my clothes got soaked, he made me dinner while everything was in the dryer, we got to talking, both of us drank too much wine, and I couldn’t drive home. End of story.”

“So you didn’t sleep with him?”

“No! I’m not even sure he’s into me! I’m not even sure that I’m into him!”

“I’ve seen you both. You’re into each other. Trust me.”

Clarke loosed a heavy sigh. “I don’t wanna get into this.”

Raven walked into the office and shut the door behind her. “You okay?” she asked, picking up on Clarke’s suddenly sad and withdrawn mood.

“Yeah, I just – after Finn and then Lexa, I just to want to get too invested in this.”

“Finn was an asshole, babe,” Raven said as Clarke dropped into her desk chair.

“Yeah, I know, but he started out sweet. He started out bringing me coffee when I was stressed, and teasing and flirting, just like Bellamy.”

“Bellamy isn’t Finn. He isn’t Lexa, either. Bellamy is Bellamy, and I think that if you like him, you should give him a chance. Don’t judge him based on two bad people.”

“I never said I liked him.”

“Clarke, I’m your best friend. Plus, it’s written all over your face.”

Clarke felt her face flush. “That bad?”

“I think it looks good on you. I think he could be good for you.”

“Thanks, Rae. Now get back to work. I don’t pay you to give me advice. That’s what our wine nights are for.”

“Fine. But speaking of, are you inviting him to Jasper’s party on Friday?”

“I thought about it, but honestly, I think it’s just too complicated right now. I need to have some fun with my friends without complicating things.”

Raven smiled at her. “I like that plan. I think we can definitely make it work.”

* * *

 

The rest of the week, as Clarke predicted, was steadily busy. By Friday, her whole crew was excitedly counting down to closing time, all too ready for the chance to unwind later that night. Jasper was known amongst their small group for his skill when it came to getting everyone together around a bonfire and drinking illegal, homemade booze. That night was going to be no different, save for the addition of a few new faces, as Clarke’s whole greenhouse staff was invited, including the new employees. Truth be told, she was excited to see how Lincoln and Luna were outside of work. They both seemed so wholesome and down to Earth, and she was looking forward to see if their cool attitude remained once they got a few drinks in.

She’d also stubbornly refused to think about Bellamy Blake and the possibility of having developed feelings for him, much to Raven’s frustration. He hadn’t tried to reach out to her either, and part of her worried that maybe spending the night had been too much. She was constantly going over every second of that night, trying to see if she’d misread some cue. He’d been the one to ask her to stay for dinner and then tell her to stay, after all. And if that’s all that was on her mind for three days, it was only because she didn’t want to mess up this new tentative friendship with Bellamy and not at all because she fell asleep at night thinking about how comfortable it would be to sleep held against his chest. Not at all.

* * *

 

“Clarke!” Jasper called excitedly when she rounded the house he shared with Monty and walked into their back yard. “Glad you could make it!” he said, throwing his arm around her shoulders.

She laughed. Clarke was wearing light-washed skin-tight jeans and a white tank top that she’d paired with an open plaid button down. Her stylish country look clashed with Jasper’s cargo shorts and hippie _Earth Day_ t-shirt. He pressed a beer into her hand and guided her to the patio where the rest of her friends were all lounging around the table in the dimming light of the setting sun.

“So guess what,” Jasper said as she found a chair.

“Awh, come on, man. Are you gonna tell everyone?” Monty groaned, taking a long pull from his beer.

“Yep! It’s so great. She’s gotta know!” Jasper said with a smile.

“Gotta know what?” Clarke asked. She felt bad for Monty’s obvious embarrassment, but not bad enough to hold her curiosity at bay.

“Monty asked his crush to come by tonight!” Jasper announced.

“Wait, is this – ” Clarke started.

“Nathan Miller!” Jasper finished.

“Awe, Monty. That’s adorable,” Clarke cooed. “Is he coming by?”

Monty flushed a deep shade of red. “Yeah. He said he’s going to stop by in an hour or so. But he’s got friends with him, so it’s not like it’s an actual _thing_ ,” he quickly amended.

“Bringing friends, is he?” Raven asked pointedly while winking at Clarke.

It was Clarke’s turn to groan and take a drink.

“Guys, leave her alone,” Harper said, coming to Clarke’s defense.

“Traitor,” Monty muttered. “Where were you when they were bugging me?”

“I’m just saying,” Harper said, raising her hands defensively. “If Clarke wants to jump Bellamy’s bones, that’s her prerogative.”

Everyone laughed.

“Guess who’s getting less hours next week,” Clarke said over the mouth of her bottle.

“Seriously?” Harper asked incredulously. “C’mon Clarke, you know I need this job so me and Zoe can move out of my parents’ place!”

Clarke gave her a shit-eating grin.

“Jerk,” Harper spat without any malice.

“Serves your right for teasing your boss,” Clarke countered.

Conversation flowed easily after that, and Monty was almost completely relaxed by the time a car pulled into the driveway, at which point the blood drained from his face.

“You got this,” Clarke said, bumping her shoulder into his.

Monty swallowed and nodded. “Yeah. Yeah. It’s just Miller. I got this.”

Nathan Miller came into the ring of light around the patio moments later carrying two four-packs of Corona. His smiled softened as he saw Monty, and Clarke subtly pushed Monty forward to go greet his guest. Two more figures followed Miller into the backyard. She felt her heart stutter as she took in Bellamy’s familiar muscular figure, looking so at ease in jeans slung low over his hips and a dark navy Henley. His usually messy hair was styled to look artfully so. But what made her breath catch in her throat was the easily comfortable way his arm was slung around a petite figure. The girl trailed a step or two behind, and Bellamy had to stop to let her catch up, his arm still around her shoulders.

“Clarke Griffin?” the small girl said loudly, and Clarke’s breath flooded out of her chest as she recognized Octavia Blake’s voice and her friend’s pretty face came into view.

“Octavia!” Clarke said with a smile, coming forward to embrace the friend she hadn’t seen in ages.

“I missed you,” Octavia said, still holding tight to Clarke. “Thank you for watching out for him.”

Clarke’s eyes darted up to meet Bellamy’s where he stood, looking at them both fondly. “It’s been no trouble at all,” Clarke told her friend honestly. Bellamy smiled.

Clarke spent most of the night catching up with her friend, and the pair easily beat a very intoxicated Bellamy and Miller in beer pong. Bellamy took the loss rather well, but Miller complained loudly, saying that his partner was trash and that he needed a new one before pulling Monty, who’d happened to be walking by at the time, into his side. Monty blushed furiously, but both him and Miller grinned like fools.

Octavia took the opportunity to sneak away to where Lincoln stood alone, leaning against the bannister at the far end of the patio. He’d caught the young Blake’s eye the minute he’d introduced himself, and Octavia had been asking as many unsubtle questions about him as she could while she’d chatted with Clarke.

“Are you trying to hook my baby sister up with your employee?” Bellamy asked, sidling up to her.

“You say that like all I do is plot couples out in my head.”

“Don’t you?” he teased, and she shoved him.

He laughed and easily regained his footing, his arm coming to wrap around Clarke’s waist casually. Her heart fluttered as he played with the lower button on her open blouse.

“How much have you had to drink?” she asked.

“Not enough,” he answered with a smile, his hand sliding into her pocket. “Come on, Griffin. Have a drink with me,” he said, guiding her to the kitchen.

She stayed by his side, but turned down the drink. “I have to go home soon. I’m opening the store tomorrow morning.”

“C’mon, Clarke,” he tried. “Just one drink?”

She shook her head, unable to talk as she realized just how close they were standing in the empty kitchen, his arm still around her despite how she now stood in front of him.

“Another time?” she asked, unable to look into his eyes, and instead reaching up to play with the button on his shirt just below his collarbone.

“You asking me to have a drink with you, Clarke?” Bellamy slurred, and she could smell the clean scent of him mixed with the rum on his breath.

“I think you asked me first,” she said with an easy laugh, her palm resting over his steadily beating heart.

“Huh. Did I? That sounds like something I’d do,” he said, looking dazed.

His arm around her pulled her closer, and his free hand slid into her hair, sending shivers down her spine. Her eyes skipped down to his lips before looking back up at him.

“Bellamy,” she stuttered. “You’re drunk.”

“And you’re beautiful,” he said.

She sighed, but the sound came out shaky with a laugh as she leaned forward to rest her head against his shoulder, unable to keep looking at his mouth, her nose skimming the skin of his neck, already rough with the stubble starting to grow after a long day.

He kissed the crown of her head. “I mean it,” he said.

She wrapped her free arm around him to hold herself to him, her other hand still on his chest as she felt his heart rate speed up before slowing back down again.

“I’m sure you do,” she said with a self-deprecating laugh. He kept combing his fingers through her hair, and she was imagining the rat’s nest of tangles she was going to have to work through when she got home. “I should go,” she said.

She felt his shoulders sag under her. “Yeah, that’s probably a good idea,” he said.

“Walk me to my truck?” she asked, and the smile he looked down at her with should have blinded her.

“Come on,” he said, taking her hand and twining his fingers with hers.

She ducked back out into the yard to say goodbye to her friends. Most were too drunk to notice her hand in Bellamy’s. Those who did notice didn’t say anything.

“Thank you,” Bellamy said as they reached her truck parked on the side of the road.

“For what?” she asked honestly.

“For giving me a place to go when I thought I was alone.” He looked down at his feet, his face sad.

“You’ll always have a place you can come to when you need it,” she promised. “And you’ve never been alone, Bell. I’ve always been here, and I’m not going anywhere.”

He smiled at her, taking her wrist and bringing her hand up to his mouth, pressing a chaste kiss to her open palm.

“Thank you,” he repeated.

“Have a good night. Go back to the party; have some fun with your friends,” she said.

“Text me when you get home safe?”

“Promise,” she said, reaching up on the tips of her toes to press a kiss to his cheek, waiting a second longer than necessary before pulling away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **I'M COLLECTING LETTERS & FAN ART FOR BOB & ELIZA TO GIVE TO BOB AT FAN EXPO. SUBMISSION DEADLINE IS AUGUST 16, 2017. SUBMISSION GUIDELINES CAN BE FOUND [HERE](http://youleftme-clarke.tumblr.com/bobbook).**
> 
> I do **actual** writing in my spare time! Come find me at [@pascale_writes](https://twitter.com/pascale_writes) or let's hang out on [Tumblr](http://youleftme-clarke.tumblr.com/)


	11. You've Got It Bad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke talks to Raven and realizes that maybe she does have feelings for Bellamy Blake, and Bellamy comes in to Arkadia F & G to call in that drink Clarke promised to have with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to the anon on Tumblr who keeps asking me when I'm going to update. I don't know who you are, but you keep me going. If you want more updates sooner, be like nonny. There's a polite way to get more content sooner.
> 
> **I'M COLLECTING LETTERS & FAN ART FOR BOB & ELIZA TO GIVE TO BOB AT FAN EXPO. SUBMISSION DEADLINE IS AUGUST 16, 2017. SUBMISSION GUIDELINES CAN BE FOUND [HERE](http://youleftme-clarke.tumblr.com/bobbook).**

Clarke was still smiling when she walked into work the next morning. Thinking about Bellamy left her insides in a fluttery mess. She’d fallen asleep thinking about the strong arm he’d wrapped around her waist, how small her hand had felt when it had been wrapped in his, and the way his lips had felt on the sensitive skin of her palm when he’d kissed her before she left. She’d texted him the minute she’d walked through the door to let him know that she’d gotten home safe. He’d wished her a good night and promised to talk to her in the morning.

By her lunch hour, she still hadn’t heard from him. She was sitting in the break room, eating her salad and relentlessly checking her phone between forkfuls when Raven walked in to grab a coffee.

“You’re in a good mood, today,” Raven remarked.

“Yeah, so?” Clarke said around a mouthful of spinach.

“Classy,” her friend smirked. “So, nothing. I was just saying that you looked happy.”

“I am,” Clarke admitted with an easy smile.

“Does this have anything to do with Bellamy last night?”

“Why does everything have to do with Bellamy?” Clarke asked, eyeing her friend.

“Because I haven’t seen you look like this in a long time, and it started when he walked in here two months ago.”

“What if… what if I do like him?” Clarke asked slowly, getting a feel for the words coming out of her mouth.

“Then you like him,” her friend said, matter-of-factly.

“But what do I do about it?” Clarke asked, because now that she’d admitted to herself that she liked Bellamy, she couldn’t stop the barrage of feelings flooding her chest.

“I don’t know, man,” Raven chuckled. “Just do whatever you did last night, and I think it’ll sort itself out. You should have seen him after you left. He looked like a giant puppy that had just been told he’s a good boy.”

Clarke laughed aloud at the mental image. “I didn’t do anything last night!”

“Bullshit,” Raven coughed, earning a glare from Clarke. She put her hands up defensively. “All I’m saying is that he looked really happy after the two of you disappeared.”

Clarke felt herself blush.

“I bet you guys totally made out,” Raven said, leaning back against the counter.

“You sound like a teenager,” Clarke said before taking the last bite of her salad.

“You’re not denying it,” Raven said with raised eyebrows.

“He’s hasn’t kissed me yet,” Clarke said, frowning.

“Wait, like, he hasn’t kissed you at all?” Raven asked incredulously. Clarke shook her head. “Damn, girl. You’ve got it bad.”

* * *

 

Clarke was busy rearranging the display on one of her flood tables when a customer interrupted her.

“Excuse me?” a young girl asked, standing a few feet from Clarke with her hands behind her back.

“Yes? How can I help you?” Clarke said with a sweet smile, wiping her hands on her apron.

“I was wondering if you could help me find some pretty flowers for my mom’s garden,” the girl asked.

“Are you here by yourself?” Clarke asked, looking around the store for the girl’s parents.

“No, Mom is outside, looking at trees. But I want to surprise her.”

Clarke smiled. “Okay, let’s find some pretty flowers.”

Clarke held her hand out, and the girl took it. As they walked past the front door on the way to Clarke’s favorite part of the greenhouse, the bell over the door chimed. She looked over to welcome the customer and found Bellamy’s easy smile already on her. His eyes were bright and his curly hair a mess that had her aching to run her hands through it.

“Busy?” he asked.

“I shouldn’t be more than ten minutes,” she said. “Are you in a rush?”

“No,” he said, holding up the two coffees he held in his hands. “I remember you promising me a drink last night.”

She laughed and took in the way his eyes crinkled in the corners when he smiled. “I’ll be quick,” she said, biting her lip.

He winked at her, and she resumed walking with the young girl, too flustered to say anything. She thought she’d been experiencing the whole of Bellamy’s charm, but this seemed to be no holds barred, and Clarke didn’t know how long she could take it before kissing the smirk right off his face.

When she’d sent the young girl off to find her mother, Clarke stopped by the front counter where Raven was working the register.

“Have you seen Bellamy?” the blonde asked.

“Not since last night. Why?”

“You know, as the person working the check out, you should maybe keep a better eye on the door,” Clarke said, exasperated.

She found him near the back, looking at a table cover in succulents.

“You know,” Clarke said while his back was still turned, “I never pictured you for the hipster type.”

He laughed. “Octavia has a bunch of these in her apartment, and I never know which ones are real and which ones are fake.”

“Sure, Blake. Whatever you say,” she said with a smile.

He held out a coffee for her. “It’s a latte. I wasn’t sure what you liked.”

She brought the cup to her lips, taking a sip of the frothy milk. “How’s the hangover?” she asked over the lid of her cup. “You know, you’re kind of an old man now. You might want to slow the drinking down a little.”

“I’m gonna spit in your coffee, next time,” Bellamy grumbled. “I’m not old.”

“You’re almost thirty,” she said with a wink.

“I’ve got years before I hit thirty!” he gasped.

“Not too many, though,” she laughed.

He went to push her away, but she pushed back against him, both of them laughing, and she somehow ended up tucked against his side.

“See, you can’t even fight a girl, you’re so old,” she said, poking his ribs.

“Is that right?” he asked, pinching her hip.

She yelped, giggling.

“Excuse me,” an older woman said from behind them. Clarke and Bellamy jumped apart. “I’m sorry. I just wanted to look at these,” she said, coming closer to the table. Clarke took Bellamy’s hand and was just about to lead him away when the woman spoke again. “You know, you two remind me a lot of me and my husband when we were younger. How long have you been dating?” she asked Bellamy.

“Oh, uh, we’re not – we’re not dating,” Bellamy sputtered, his neck going pink.

The woman clicked her tongue. “If you don’t scoop her up, young man, someone else will, and you’ll be wishing you’d done something sooner.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Bellamy said with an easy smile as Clarke pulled him away, through the maze of tables covered in flowering plants and sprouting vegetables to one of the overflow greenhouses in the back of the store.

She put her coffee down on one of the tables inside, turning around to shut the wooden door behind them. They were both still laughing when she turned to face Bellamy.

“I’m so sorry about that,” Clarke said.

She wanted to add more, but she was interrupted by Bellamy stepping forward and pressing an urgent kiss to her lips, his hands coming up to hold her face to his. She sighed against his mouth, and his lips opened beneath hers, his tongue sliding into her mouth. Her hands went to his hips, fisting in the fabric of his t-shirt and pulling him forward. He nipped at her lower lip before pulling back to look her in the eyes.

His were bright, his pupils dilated, and his smile spread from ear to ear. She brought her hand up to the side of his face, and he leaned into her touch before she slid her fingers into his hair. The air around them was so humid that his hair felt damp. She inhaled deeply, taking in the feeling of Bellamy against her and the heady floral aroma all around.

“I’m glad that wasn’t just me,” he said, his breathing still heavy.

She pulled him down to steal another quick kiss. “Nope. Not just you.”

“Good,” he said, his voice low. The way he looked at her had her heart hammering in her chest. “I didn’t want to push you into something – I mean, I wouldn’t – but then she said that thing about someone else seeing you, and – ”

He ducked down to capture her mouth again, this time without the urgency from earlier. His mouth moved slowly over hers, his arms coming to wrap around her, one around her waist, the other around her shoulders, his hand sliding into her hair. He tasted warm, like coffee and sugar, and the way his tongue sent shivers down her spine as it brushed against the seam of her lips had her dizzy. She held on to his shoulders as he pressed gentle kisses to her mouth and along her jaw.

“Bellamy,” she exhaled when his nose skimmed along the column of her throat.

They were interrupted when the door to the greenhouse banged opened. The broke apart, but instead of jumping away, Bellamy pulled her in closer, protective on instinct. She stayed in the circle of his arms but turned to see Jasper walk in, completely oblivious to how she’d just making out with Bellamy in her own workplace. He was wearing headphones and focused on what he’d come in to find. Clarke silently grabbed Bellamy’s hand, each of them taking their coffees as they snuck back into the store. They made it to Clarke’s office before they erupted into a fit of giggles.

“What time are you off tonight?” Bellamy asked.

“Five,” she answered as he wrapped his arms loosely around her waist.

“Want to do dinner?” he asked.

“Are you asking on a date, Bellamy Blake?” she asked with an easy grin.

“Are you saying yes?” he countered.

“Maybe.”

“Tease,” he said with a smile that defeated the mock irritation. “Say yes.”

“Yes,” she said, her hand against the hard plane of his chest.

He kissed the tip of her nose and smiled at her. “Pick you up at your place?”

* * *

 

Bellamy became a fixture at Arkadia Floral & Garden Supply after that. Clarke was well aware that she’d rushed into her last two relationships, first with Finn, and then with Lexa. She wanted to take this one slow. She didn’t want to run headlong into something with Bellamy and risk ruining it. She never slept over, and Bellamy didn’t force her to do anything that she wasn’t ready for. He’d drive her home after a date and kiss her before she went inside, but he never asked to be invited in. He would stop by in the mornings to bring her coffee, to wish her a good day at work, and he’d kiss her quickly, out of view of her staff before heading to school.

On some days, Bellamy would come to the store if the house was too quiet for him. He’d sit in her office and grade assignments or read while she worked, staying out of her way unless she needed an extra set of hands, in which case, he’d happily volunteer. Clarke spent her days off tending Bellamy’s flowerbeds while he watched, curious, and asked her questions about what she was doing, and why. She’d bake, her favorite pass time besides gardening, on nights when he was busy and she wasn’t too tired, and she’d bring some by his house the next day for him to pack in his lunch when he went to work.

What they had was easy, and Clarke was happy. It was like their friendship had slowly morphed into something more, and neither of them changed as their relationship went on. Bellamy stayed the same, and as the days progressed, she became less and less afraid that he’d turn out to be like her last two relationship failures. It was easy to curl up next to him on the couch and watch a movie and to know that he wasn’t judging every move she made, that he was content to run his hands through her hair, to hold her tight through the scary parts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope that kiss was worth the wait!
> 
> I might be wrapping this up sooner than 15 chapters, but it'll be good! I promise!
> 
> **I'M COLLECTING LETTERS & FAN ART FOR BOB & ELIZA TO GIVE TO BOB AT FAN EXPO. SUBMISSION DEADLINE IS AUGUST 16, 2017. SUBMISSION GUIDELINES CAN BE FOUND [HERE](http://youleftme-clarke.tumblr.com/bobbook).**
> 
> I do **actual** writing in my spare time! Come find me at [@pascale_writes](https://twitter.com/pascale_writes) or let's hang out on [Tumblr](http://youleftme-clarke.tumblr.com/)


	12. Forget-Me-Not

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter is very close to my heart. It feels fitting to post a chapter that is centred around forget-me-nots on today of all days. I've got these tiny blue flowers sprouting in my garden in memory of my sister, my very best friend, and my soulmate that passed away three years ago, today. So this one goes out to her. She'd get such a kick out of me writing smut in my free time.
> 
> **I'M COLLECTING LETTERS & FAN ART FOR BOB & ELIZA TO GIVE TO BOB AT FAN EXPO. SUBMISSION DEADLINE IS AUGUST 16, 2017. SUBMISSION GUIDELINES CAN BE FOUND [HERE](http://youleftme-clarke.tumblr.com/bobbook).**

It was dark in the cab of Clarke’s truck, the sun having set before they’d even left the restaurant. Bellamy’s fingers were tangled in Clarke’s hair, his blunt fingernails scraping softly over her scalp, the delicious sensation sending shivers all the way down Clarke’s spine. She moaned into his mouth, his tongue taking the opportunity to slide along hers and deepen the kiss. She tightened her hands into fists, gripping the fabric of his shirt, and the hand that sat against her hip ventured lower, behind her to her ass, prompting her over the console and into Bellamy’s lap, her lips never separating from his. His hands held her hips firmly as she found a way to position herself on the small passenger’s seat. Eventually, she settled for straddling his lap, her knees on either side of his hips.

“Fuck, Princess,” Bellamy groaned as Clarke settled herself over him. She could feel his need growing steadily beneath her.

“Bellamy,” she breathed, her fingers tangling in his hair as his lips found her jaw and pressed searing kisses down to the hollow at the base of her throat.

They hadn’t done anything like this in the few weeks they’d been together. Clarke usually put a stop to things whenever their make out session got too heavy as he kissed her goodnight. But Bellamy had just taken her out to a really nice dinner with the good wine and everything. They’d stayed long past the end of the meal just talking and talking as the hours passed. He’d held her hand across the table, his thumb always casually stroking over her knuckles as their conversation went on. Everything had felt right. Clarke had felt loved and cared for as Bellamy sat across that table, his eyes twinkling as he watched her with a happy smile on his face.

Clarke had insisted on driving, and they’d made it as far as Bellamy’s house before their restraint had faded. Kissing Bellamy after the realization that maybe he was right for her felt different. Everything was warm and soft in places within her soul that hadn’t been before. The curve of his mouth as his lips moved over hers felt like he was sharing a secret with her, telling her a story that only she was ever meant to hear. His hands felt gentle as they moved up and down her figure, tangled in her hair.

Clarke’s head fell back with an open-mouthed gasp as one of his exploring hands darted under her shirt, his thumb brushing over the skin just below the wire of her bra. Her reaction to his simple touch had him chuckling against her skin. She ground her hips down against his in retaliation, and then suddenly he was the one choking out a strangled moan.

“Come inside,” he whispered against her lips, his fingers flexing against her hip as she bit down on his lower lip and sucked it into her mouth.

Her kisses became for frantic, eager to distract him and to try to forget the twinge out doubt that sparked in her gut at his words. Clarke trusted Bellamy, but she suddenly wasn’t sure if she could trust herself, her own judgment. She feared that she was doomed to end up with the Finns and Lexas of the world. He nipped at her shoulder before saying her name in a way that had her stilling and meeting his eyes.

He captured her mouth in a slow, languid kiss that had her seeing stars. She sighed into his mouth, her fingers threading through his curls that she loved so much. “Clarke,” he tried again.

“Hmmm?” she mumbled, resting her forehead against his shoulder.

“Come inside, babe,” he said, pressing a sweet kiss to her temple.

“I can’t, Bell,” she whispered, because she wanted to – she wanted him. But she also wanted to make sure that she was right about him.

“You’ve been in my house before, you know,” he teased.

She sat up to look at him. “Not the way you want me to be,” she said sadly, retreating to her seat.

“So then tell me what I’m doing wrong.”

She laughed a humorless laugh. “It’s nothing you’re doing or not doing,” she said, and it’s true, because her problem is with herself.

“Is there someone else?” he asked, cautious.

“No! Bellamy, no! There’s just you. Just you – I promise.”

“So then what is it?” he asked, his voice rising.

“It’s not – It’s me. I just need to figure some things out.”

“Well,” he said, his hand going to the door handle. “Let me know when you’ve got it figured out.” He exited the truck without another word or look back.

Clarke managed to make it all the way home before she started to cry.

* * *

 

She called in sick the next day and spent the day in bed. She wanted to call Bellamy, to explain all that she’d been going through, and all the doubts she was having that had nothing to do with him and everything to do with her. She wanted to tell him that she’d never been happier, that he made her laugh, and smile, and that she didn’t ever want to lose what they had.

But she held out, because she wasn’t the one who’d angrily stormed away the night before, and she wasn’t the one who needed to apologize for anything. If Bellamy wanted to talk about what had happened, he was the one who needed to reach out.

So she stayed in bed while she waited for his lunch break to roll around, telling herself that he wouldn’t text while he had students in class. When his lunch break passed without her phone ringing, she found herself somewhere between frustrated and sad. When the afternoon had passed without a word, and she’d watched her quota of sappy romantic comedies on Netflix, she decided to text Raven.

 **[Clarke Griffin]                       4:43 PM**  
Come over  
I’m ordering pizza  
Bring wine

 **[Clarke Griffin]                       4:45 PM**  
Fuck it, bring tequila

 **[Raven Reyes]                         4:47 PM**  
Everything okay, babe?

 **[Clarke Griffin]                        4:51 PM**  
No  
Men are stupid

 **[Raven Reyes]                          4:55 PM  
** Need me to fight him for breaking your heart?

 **[Clarke Griffin]                         4:45 PM**  
No, just bring the booze  
I’ll be good

* * *

 

“Did you talk to him yet?” Raven asked when Clarke walked into the shop.

“It’s been a day and a half,” Clarke grumbled, her hangover headache already starting. “The least I can do is make him sweat a little.”

“He didn’t reach out yet?” Raven asked.

“Nope,” Clarke said, walking to her office and shutting the door.

News quickly spread around the store, and before ten o’clock even rolled around, all of the employees knew to avoid the boss. It was rare that Clarke was ever mad, rarer still that she took that anger with her into work, but on days such as this, she just didn’t have the patience to deal with annoying customers and stupid question, not when all that was racing through her mind was the fear that she’d ruined her relationship before she’d even given it the chance to really start.

She ate her lunch alone in her office, not wanting to face the quiet that her presence in the break room would cause – or Jasper’s terrible attempts at humor to cheer her up. His jokes would work – if only because they were so terrible and she loved him – but she was still in the mood to wallow in self pity for a little longer.

The quiet office reminded her of the first time that Bellamy had stopped by to bring her food at work. He’d been so concerned for her and wanting to make sure she at a decent meal every so often. The concern hadn’t lessened at time wore on. Clarke’s eating habits were horrendous. The thought made her chuckle silently into the emptiness around her. Conversation had flowed easily between them the few times she’d seen him before that, but that dinner had been the first time she’d realized how in tune they both were, how they shared the same wave length. If she had to pinpoint the moment she started realizing that she was falling for Bellamy Blake, it would be the moment she’d hugged him goodbye that night. And even just that he’d come by to thank her at all had –

Clarke froze. Lunch forgotten, she pushed her chair to the other end of her desk, shoving everything off of the large calendar pad. She looked at the date. Bellamy had come by to thank her for being there for him on the eight-month anniversary of his mother’s death. That had been exactly a month ago. Clarke knew from her own experience that month nine was hard. It was almost a year, only three months short of the biggest hurdle. She knew how hard it had been for her to face the nine-month mark. It must have been on Bellamy’s mind for days. He would have been thinking about it even before their date ended badly.

“Raven, I have to run an errand. You’re in charge,” she said hurriedly into her walkie before dropping it on her desk.

She jogged from her office, almost to the front door before stopping to consider something and then turning around to duck into the overflow greenhouse. She ran up and down the rows, looking to find the one plant that would be insignificant to any other person but that would mean the world to Bellamy today – an apology that would also be so much more. She finally found what she was looking for – clusters of tiny delicate blue flowers with yellow rings around the center and long, thin green leaves. She picked the biggest one, and inhaled the scent of one of her favorite flowers. She made sure the name tag – _Myosotis_ – with the care instructions was inserted in the pot before making a beeline to her truck, not running into any of her employees on the way.

The drive to Bellamy’s was quick, and she pulled into his driveway, her thoughts distracted as she took the steps up his front porch two at a time. She didn’t bother to knock, too familiar already with both Bellamy and this house to care. She placed the flowerpot with the forget-me-nots down on the counter by the door.

“Bell?” she called out. She could hear footsteps at the end of the hall. “It’s me. Listen, can we – ”

A girl rounded the corner, and Clarke froze as she took in the tall figure clad in nothing but a towel wrapped around her chest, her hair down in wet waves. Her features were angular and sharp, her face stern despite the saccharine smile aimed at Clarke.

“Where’s Bellamy?” Clarke asked around the lump in her throat. “And who the hell are you?”

The girl paused, taking Clarke in, looking her over down the length of her sharp nose. “Still in the shower, I think,” the girl said dismissively. “At least, that’s where he was when I got out. I’m Echo. Who the hell are you?” Echo asked with a sneer.

Clarke felt all of the colour drain from her face. “You know what, never mind,” she said, her voice almost a whisper as she tried not to sob. “I’m just gonna go.”

“Okay,” the girl said with a cheery smile. “It was nice meeting you!”

This time, Clarke didn’t even make it home before she started to cry.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **I'M COLLECTING LETTERS & FAN ART FOR BOB & ELIZA TO GIVE TO BOB AT FAN EXPO. SUBMISSION DEADLINE IS AUGUST 16, 2017. SUBMISSION GUIDELINES CAN BE FOUND [HERE](http://youleftme-clarke.tumblr.com/bobbook).**
> 
> I do **actual** writing in my spare time! Come find me at [@pascale_writes](https://twitter.com/pascale_writes) or let's hang out on [Tumblr](http://youleftme-clarke.tumblr.com/)


	13. New Store Policy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SORRY FOR HOW I ENDED THE LAST CHAPTER OKAY PLEASE STOP CRYING HERE HAVE THIS UPDATE IT'S GOING TO BE OKAY!
> 
> **I'M COLLECTING LETTERS & FAN ART FOR BOB & ELIZA TO GIVE TO BOB AT FAN EXPO. SUBMISSION DEADLINE IS AUGUST 16, 2017. SUBMISSION GUIDELINES CAN BE FOUND [HERE](http://youleftme-clarke.tumblr.com/bobbook).**

“Hey,” Raven said softly, cracking open the door to Clarke’s room.

The ray of light shining into the otherwise dark room slanted right across Clarke’s eyes, and she screwed them shut to block out the brightness. She pulled her covers tighter around herself as she made a noise of protest and burrowed further into bed.

“Go away,” she mumbled.

“What happened?” Raven asked, coming to sit at the foot of the bed.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Clarke said, turning away.

Raven toed her shoes off and climbed into bed behind her best friend, wrapping her arms around Clarke. Clarke sighed and hugged Raven’s arm tighter, the tears starting again as Clarke felt Raven run her hand through her blonde waves.

“We don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”

Another quiet sob clawed its way out of Clarke’s chest. “So stupid,” Clarke mumbled, wiping angrily at her eyes.

“What’s so stupid, babe?” Raven asked, hugging her friend tightly against her.

“I am. I’m so stupid. I trusted him. But he’s just like the others.”

“Clarke,” Raven sighed, pressing her cheek to the other girl’s. “I’m so sorry. I’m sorry that he didn’t turn out to be what you needed him to be.”

“I was happy,” Clarke admitted. “Or, at least I definitely thought that I could be. I wanted to be.”

“You still can be.”

“I wanted to be with him. I wanted to be happy with Bellamy. He’s stupid and ridiculous, and I have this massive crush on him. He challenges me and pushes me and makes me do things I didn’t think I’d be able to do otherwise. I could have been happy,” Clarke repeated on a low whine.

Truth be told, she didn’t want to think about Bellamy. She didn’t want to consider how happy she could have been or what it would have felt like to wake up in the early morning sun wrapped in his arms. She didn’t want to imagine the way he’d kiss her lazily when he was still half asleep or how they’d get up and have their coffee outside. She didn’t want to think about late nights and thunderstorms and winters sitting by his fireplace and flannel and thick socks and mugs of hot chocolate filled to the brim with marshmallows. She didn’t want to think about the whole future she’d planned out for them because it hurt too much to do so.

“You’re not stupid for that. Everyone feels like that about someone at some point.”

“But that’s _why_ I’m stupid. I should know better by now. “I felt like this about Finn, and then you came along – no offense, I love you.”

“None taken.”

“And I should have known to walk away when Lexa basically started our relationship still hung up on Costia, but she told me she was over it, so I believed her. You’d think that her leaving me for her ex would finally drive the point home, but no. No, I had to go and fall for Bellamy Blake. And I told you, too,” Clarke said, her tone rising as she flopped over onto her back in agitation. “I told you that it was a bad idea because he’d always been such a player in high school, and I figured he wouldn’t change, but then you told me that maybe he had, and he was really acting like a different person, and I just wanted to believe it _so bad._ ”

“He slept with someone else?”

Clarke wiped at the silent tears that ran down her face at Raven saying the words out loud. “I went over there to talk to him,” she choked. “And I didn’t knock, I just walked in because it’s Bellamy, and that’s what we do, and there was this girl – Echo,” Clarke sneered the name like it tasted disgusting coming out of her mouth. “Fucking tall, blonde, and waltzing around his house naked in nothing but a towel like she owned the place.”

“Shit, Clarke. That’s terrible. I’m so sorry, love.”

“And then, because I’m not enough of an idiot, I asked her where Bellamy was. She answered _The shower_ like it was the most obvious thing in the world.”

* * *

 

It was nearly five o’clock that night before he texts her. She scoffed when she saw his name light up her phone screen.

 

 **[Bellamy Blake]          4:47 PM**  
Thanks for the flowers  
I meant to text you earlier  
Did you stop by while I was out?

 **[Bellamy Blake]          4:53 PM**  
I had to Google the name to figure out what they were  
  


Raven laughed when the second text came in. “Someone’s desperate to get a conversation going.”

“I don’t wanna talk to him right now.”

“Good. Don’t. I don’t blame you. Frankly, I’d tell him right where he can shove those flowers, and he won’t forget those forget-me-nots anytime soon.”

Clarke laughed at her best friend’s humor.

* * *

 

When she woke up the morning after her impromptu girls’ night with Raven, she has a sea of missed calls and text messages from Bellamy to wade through. She wanted to ignore them, but then she told herself that maybe if she read them all, if only to twist that knife in her gut just a little bit more, she’d finally drive home the point that she needs to be more careful about who she trusts.

 

 **[Bellamy Blake]          11:27 PM**  
Is everything okay?  
I know I screwed up the other day

 **[Bellamy Blake]          11:49 PM**  
Listen, can we just talk about it?  
I need you to know how sorry I am

 **[Bellamy Blake]          12:01 AM**  
Fuck Clarke I don’t want this to be over because I said something stupid

 **[Bellamy Blake]          1:45 AM**  
Please just text me back  
I’m worried about you

 **[Bellamy Blake]          1:47 AM**  
I miss you

 **[Bellamy Blake]          1:48 AM**  
I know you know what the date is today  
I miss her so goddamn much

 **[Bellamy Blake]          2:00 AM**  
Last month when I stopped by the shop  
That’s the only time any of this felt like it could make sense

 **[Bellamy Blake]          2:05 AM**  
I don’t want to lose that  
I don’t want to lose you  
  
**[Bellamy Blake]          5:43 AM**  
Is it stupid that I’m hoping you just fell asleep and you’re not ignoring me?

 _I don’t know, Bellamy. Was it stupid for me to trust you?_ She couldn’t believe that he thought she was still upset about their argument after their date. Maybe Echo hadn’t mentioned running into Clarke. She wondered at what point Bellamy would realize that she knew what he was hiding. She was curious to see if he would ever tell her about it at all.

 **[Bellamy Blake]          6:01 AM**  
I have to leave for work soon  
I’ll have my phone on me  
Please call or text or anything to let me know you’re alive  
I’ll come by for lunch  
We can talk

 **[Bellamy Blake]          8:05 AM**  
I’m sorry, Clarke

* * *

 

Clarke didn’t think that Bellamy would show up if she didn’t text him back. She’d ignored his messages and gone straight to work after breakfast, throwing herself into all of the early summer tasks that needed to be done at Arkadia Floral & Garden Supply. It was a busy day, and she’d scheduled almost everyone to work. Those who waited until the last minute to start their gardens had been steadily flooding her store, and she needed all hands on deck to continue rotating stock every possible question imaginable at least five times a day.

“There’s a vegetable garden behind my mom’s house,” a familiar voice said from behind Clarke as she was watering a table full of tomato and pepper plants. She had a good mind to turn her hose on him and watch him sputter as she soaked him in cold water, but she decided against it. She chose to just continue working and ignore him, despite the ache in her gut begging her to turn around and look at him. “And there’s this employee here that told me she’d do a consultation for me once summer came around, and I’m just wondering if that offer still stands.”

“I’m working, Bellamy. I don’t have time for this,” she said, moving to another table.

He followed. “Clarke,” he said desperately, reaching for her shoulder, but she shrugged him off. She still hadn’t looked at him.

Raven spied them from across the greenhouse, and Clarke sent her friend a silent plea for help. Raven dropped the pruning shears she was working with and walked toward them.

“Hey, Blake,” she said.

“Raven, can you just give us – ”

“Sorry,” she said. “No can do. We’ve got this new store policy, actually. Yeah, we’re open, but just for people who aren't lying assholes.”

Clarke wanted to smirk, but her heart tore at how close Bellamy still was and at how much she’d lost.

“Wha –”

“Yep. Time to go,” Raven said, ushering him towards the door. “And don’t even pretend to look confused. Your acting is terrible. Say hi to Echo for me.”

“Clarke – ”

“Get out of my store, Bellamy,” she said, finally turning to him. He looked absolutely crestfallen.

“I think it’s time to go, mate,” Lincoln said, appearing out of nowhere and stopping Bellamy with a hand to his shoulder.

* * *

 

Clarke stayed at the store until the sky started turning pink and a chill came in with the breeze. She’d sent everyone home hours ago, but she’d wanted to stay and work and not think for once. She’d rearranged table after table, setting up a new, more efficient layout. She’d organized her office and the front register. Finally, when there’d been no more work left to do, she packed up her things and walked outside.

It took her a minute before she realized that he was leaning against the bed of her truck. She stopped a few feet away, and his head shot up when he heard her approach.

“I told you to leave me alone, Bellamy,” Clarke said, not walking any closer.

“I know,” he said, standing up straighter and taking a step toward her. “I know that you don’t want to see me, and I realize that I was kind of a dick after our date the other night, and the more I thought about it, the more I realized that it sounded like I was pressuring you for sex, and I want you to know that I wasn’t. I just thought you were holding back because of something you were hiding from me or because I just wasn’t good enough for you.”

“Is that what you think this is about?” Clarke said angrily.

“No. No, I know it’s not. I just need to start with this apology.” Clarke crossed her arms over her chest and waited for him to continue. “I was hurt, and I lashed out, and it was totally childish. I shouldn’t have let you leave. I especially shouldn’t have let you leave when you were hurt and mad at me. I went back outside not even a minute later to apologize when I realized that I hadn’t even kissed you good night, but you were gone.”

“Is that why you – ” she snapped, but she was cut off.

“Clarke!” he said, but he had a half smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. He took a few more steps closer. “Would you let me finish? I was so confused when Raven mentioned Echo earlier. I had no idea how Raven would even know about her. And then I thought about the flowers, and how you must have seen her when you dropped them off.” His smile was still fighting his desire to stay serious.

“Is this funny to you, Bellamy?” she asked, storming passed him to get to her truck.

He jogged to catch up, stopping her hand at it reached the door. “Hear me out. Echo is Octavia’s roommate.”

“Oh, so it’s okay that you slept with her because she’s your sister’s roommate?” Clarke asked, incredulous.

“No! I didn’t sleep with her, Clarke! I wasn’t even home! I was with my students at a museum in Polis yesterday! Octavia and Echo showed up an hour or so after you left the other night. They had a few days off and were looking for a place to stay. Echo made a mess of my guest bedroom so I gave her shit for it before leaving to go to work yesterday. I guess her stupid comment was her way of getting back at me. Octavia was the one in the shower. I went home after work and confronted her about it. Octavia was absolutely pissed at her. I don’t even know if there’s a word for how mad I was. I kicked her out, told her to find somewhere else to stay. Octavia wants to talk to you if you don’t believe me. She feels terrible.”

“So you didn’t…?” Clarke asked quietly.

“No,” Bellamy said, crowding her against the truck door, his hands finding her hips. “I love this, Clarke. I love me and you. We’re great together, and I don’t want to mess that up. I wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize your trust in me. I know it hasn’t been long, but I’m hoping that you’ll give me the chance to prove to you that I don’t ever want to hurt you.” He leaned down to press his forehead to hers.

She reached up to brush her hand against his cheek, her fingertips sliding into his hair, and he closed his eyes. “I’m scared,” she admitted.

“We’ll take it slow. I’ll show you that you don’t have to be,” he promised.

She reached up to capture his mouth in a slow, exploring kiss, and she felt his grin spread across his face as he squeezed her hips reassuringly.

“Okay,” she said, pulling away from him. “Okay, I can do slow. I trust you.”

“In that case,” he said, pulling back to look at her properly, “Clarke Griffin, would you like to go on a date with me?”

“I would,” she said.

She laughed as he picked her up and pressed her back against her old truck. She wrapped her legs around his waist and wrapped her arms around his shoulders as he kissed her sweetly, nipping at her lower lip teasingly.

“Is this what you call slow?” she asked with a laugh.

“I’m sorry. I just got scared for a bit there that I wouldn’t get to do that again,” he said, his face flushed and eyes sparkling. “We can stop now.” He loosened his hold on her.

“No,” she said considering. “No, I think this is good.”

He laughed before kissing her again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter, guys!
> 
> **I'M COLLECTING LETTERS & FAN ART FOR BOB & ELIZA TO GIVE TO BOB AT FAN EXPO. SUBMISSION DEADLINE IS AUGUST 16, 2017. SUBMISSION GUIDELINES CAN BE FOUND [HERE](http://youleftme-clarke.tumblr.com/bobbook).**
> 
> I do **actual** writing in my spare time! Come find me at [@pascale_writes](https://twitter.com/pascale_writes) or let's hang out on [Tumblr](http://youleftme-clarke.tumblr.com/)


	14. Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 2 Months Later

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait! It's been a very emotional week!
> 
> **I'M COLLECTING LETTERS & FAN ART FOR BOB & ELIZA TO GIVE TO BOB AT FAN EXPO. SUBMISSION DEADLINE IS AUGUST 16, 2017. SUBMISSION GUIDELINES CAN BE FOUND [HERE](http://youleftme-clarke.tumblr.com/bobbook).**

The bell over the door chimed, and Clarke looked up from where she was doing her end-of-day report at the front counter. The store had closed an hour ago, but she’d left the front door unlocked for one person. Bellamy walked in with his hands behind his back and a mischievous smile on his face, locking the door behind him. Clarke rolled her eyes, but smiled nonetheless; summer break had been getting to him, and he’d taken to finding all sorts of different ways to make Clarke’s day. She’d never complain about it, but she was curious about what had him smiling so much.

“Almost done, Princess?” he asked, leaning over the counter to capture her mouth in a slow kiss. 

She pulled back to look at him and slid her hand into his hair, taking her lower lip between her teeth as she took in the expanse of freckles across his nose that the sunshine had made even more obvious.

“What?” he asked, after giving her another quick kiss.

_ I love you _ , she thought, and the thought made her head spin. “It’s nothing. Just realized something,” she said, turning away and going back to her paperwork.

He walked around the counter, and she could feel his presence behind her. No part of him touched her, but her skin of her back burned like he was setting her ablaze. She took a step back into his chest, and he wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her flush against him. Blindly, she slid her hand up his arm to his shoulder and then into his hair, pulling him down so that she could kiss him. She was not as slow as he’d been, demanding more the minute she opened her mouth to him. His hand on her waist lifted the hem of her shirt, darting under the fabric so that his fingers could dance across the soft skin of her belly. She gasped when his fingers skimmed a spot just beside her hipbone that had her arching back into him and fisting the hand tangled in his hair. 

He chuckled. “I didn’t know about that little secret, Princess,” he said, his eyes dark as a finger quickly and lightly flicked over the sensitive skin, eliciting the same reaction.

“I’m ticklish,” she said, breathless. 

“I think it’s a bit more than that,” he coaxed.

“If you don’t let me finish my paperwork, you won’t get to find out,” she said, pulling away to bend at the waist and lean her elbows on the counter, knowing full well how she looked to Bellamy.

He stepped behind her, one hand coming out to grip her hips. “I brought you something,” he said.

“Yeah?” she asked as she finished the last of the paperwork she had to do.

“Yeah, you curious?” he asked, pulling her back against his hips. 

She closed her eyes. True to his word, Bellamy had taken the relationship at her pace, and though she might not have been ready to sleep with him, they’d both recently taken to seeing exactly how far they could push the other with their teasing and flirty touches and looks before one or both of them needed to back off. She was quite enjoying this new round of challenges thrown at her by Bellamy, especially as his hands guided her hips to grind her ass against his front.

“Yes,” she said, the word coming out in a rush.

He stepped back, and she bit down on the inside of her cheek to keep from whining at the loss of contact. She felt him brush her hair to one side of her neck and bend forward to press open-mouthed kisses against the divots in her spine. Bellamy brought his hands around to her front, wrapping a delicate silver chain around her neck and stepping back to do up the clasp. 

“Happy two months, baby,” he whispered against the shell of her ear. “I’ve known you since I was a kid, but back then, the time spent with you didn’t matter to me. I was young, and I was stupid. I wasted so much time, so I feel like it’s important that we notice it going by now.”

She looked down and saw a small silver pendant - a cluster of flowers with an assortment of gemstones in the center of each.

“Bell,” she said, her voice full of fondness. She tucked herself against him and his arms came around her to hold her tight.

“You like it?” he asked, one hand squeezing her hip affectionately. 

“Of course I do.”

“Good,” he said, kissing the top of her head. “But just in case, I had a backup plan ready to go. You finished here?”

“Yeah, just let me go lock up these things in the office she said.

She gathered up the till and her paperwork, but Bellamy took it from her and wrapped and arm around her waist, carrying it for her as they walked to her office.

* * *

 

“Bellamy,” Clarke said, gasping as she walked into his kitchen. She took in the food laid out on the table in front of them and the pots on the stove. “You didn’t have to do all of this!”

“Actually, a lot of this is stuff that we planted in the garden out back, and if I didn’t use the vegetables, we were gonna lose them,” he admitted, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms tightly around her middle. “Plus, I wanted to do something for my girl,” he said, nuzzling into the crook at the base of her neck.

The words that had nearly escaped at the store bubbled up again.  _ I love him _ , she thought. She wrapped her arms around herself to cover his, lacing her fingers with his, and stayed there, wrapped in the arms of the man she loved as she took in all that he’d prepared for her. 

“Come eat,” he said eventually, kissing her neck and then taking her hand to lead her to the table. 

 

Dinner was incredible, and they sat at the table long after they’d finished eating. Bellamy held Clarke’s hand from across the table, his thumb brushing over her knuckles as he listened to her tell him stories about what had happened at work. 

They’d started on their second bottle of wine by the time Bellamy got up and started collecting dishes. Clarke helped him clear off the table as he filled the sink with warm soapy water. They fell into an easy system after Clarke had brought him all the lingering dishes; Bellamy would wash, seamlessly pass the dish off to Clarke who would rise and dry, each stopping periodically to sip from their wine. 

As they finished off, Clarke noticed herself buzzing happily with the alcohol running through her veins. When Bellamy had his back turned, she scooped up a handful of bubbles off the top of the water and waited until he’d faced her again before blowing them in his direction and laughing. 

“Think that’s funny, Princess?” he said with a chuckle as he returned the favor.

Clarke shrieked happily, trying to run away but ending up with a mess of soap bubbles in her hair. Before either of them knew what was happening, the kitchen had turned into an all-out war zone of bubbles and water. Clarke tried to run away to avoid being doused when Bellamy turned on the vegetable sprayer hose, but he caught her around the waist, causing them both to slip on the wet tiles and tumble to the floor, Clarke in Bellamy’s lap.

They were both completely soaked, but Clarke didn’t care as she curled up into Bellamy’s lap, and he wrapped his arms around her, looking down at her. She reached up, still laughing, to brush wet strands of hair out of his eyes. She paused and held her breath when she say the way he was looking down at her, his eyes sparkling and full of affection. 

The words finally came out. “I love you,” she whispered.

A wide smile spread across his face, and he kissed her languidly, his hands sliding under the wet shirt that clung to her like a second skin to grip her hips tight. 

“I love you, too, Clarke,” he said against her mouth.

* * *

 

Clarke was warm and comfortable the next morning when she woke up, her limbs tangled with Bellamy’s, and his breath warm against the skin of her neck as he snored softly. She sighed happily, pulling the blanket up higher and snuggling further into Bellamy’s hold. He mumbled something in his sleep, his leg sliding up along hers, and she listened to the steady beating of his heart behind her until she fell asleep again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **I'M COLLECTING LETTERS & FAN ART FOR BOB & ELIZA TO GIVE TO BOB AT FAN EXPO. SUBMISSION DEADLINE IS AUGUST 16, 2017. SUBMISSION GUIDELINES CAN BE FOUND [HERE](http://youleftme-clarke.tumblr.com/bobbook).**
> 
> I do **actual** writing in my spare time! Come find me at [@pascale_writes](https://twitter.com/pascale_writes) or let's hang out on [Tumblr](http://youleftme-clarke.tumblr.com/)

**Author's Note:**

> I do **actual** writing in my spare time! Come find me at [@pascale_writes](https://twitter.com/pascale_writes) or let's hang out on [Tumblr](http://youleftme-clarke.tumblr.com/)


End file.
